Canada, India name new envoys as tensions between 2 countries thaw

New Canadian High Commissioner Appointed to India in Efforts to Restore Diplomatic Ties

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has appointed a new envoy to India, more than 10 months after security officials accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of espionage and violence, rupturing diplomatic ties.

On Thursday, she announced that veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter will become high commissioner for Canada to India. The senior role is akin to ambassador in Commonwealth countries.

“This is an important development toward restoring services for Canadians while strengthening the bilateral relationship to support Canada’s economy,” Anand said in a statement.

According to his biography, Cooter served most recently as Canada’s chargé d’affaires to Israel and as Canada’s high commissioner to South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Madagascar. He also had a posting in New Delhi from 1998 to 2000.

The same day, India appointed Dinesh K. Patnaik as its next high commissioner to Canada. Also a veteran diplomat, Patnaik is serving as India’s ambassador to Spain. New Delhi said he’s expected to take up the Canadian posting “shortly.”

Background on Diplomatic Strain

The two countries expelled senior diplomats last fall after the RCMP accused the Indian government of playing a role in a network of violence in Canada, including homicides and extortion. Canada alleged Indian diplomats were collecting information about Canadians and passing it on to organized crime members to attack Canadians.

The Thanksgiving weekend news conference from the RCMP followed then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing in the House of Commons that Canada had evidence linking Indian agents to the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C. The stunning allegations triggered a series of expulsions, with Canada expelling six Indian diplomats and consular staff, and India withdrawing its envoy at the time, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and expelling Canada’s high commissioner and six diplomats.

Efforts to Renew Ties

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has worked to renew ties with India, pointing to its growing economy, its role in supply chains, and the sheer number of Canadians with ties to the country. The two countries have also promised to work on reinstating visa services.

However, critics have raised concerns about the renewed relationship without any indication that India has taken responsibility for its actions after two years of open hostility and violence in Canada. The Sikh Federation of Canada stated that the lack of accountability undermines trust in Canadian institutions and risks entrenching the networks that Canadian security agencies warn against.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s annual report in June warned that India continues to be a foreign interference concern, emphasizing the need for vigilance against foreign interference conducted by the Government of India within various communities and Canada’s political system.