Justin Trudeau discusses India-Canada row with UAE, says “important to uphold rule of law”

Even as Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau dialled leaders in West Asia after to discuss the attacks on Israel, he injected the crisis in relations with India in the conversations.

Trudeau first spoke on Sunday with the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE is among India’s closest friends in the region. A readout of the conversation from the Canadian PMO said, “Prime Minister Trudeau provided an update on the situation between Canada and India.”

He also tweeted that he raised the issue of “India and the importance of upholding – and respecting – the rule of law.”

He subsequently spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. Once again, India featured in the conversation, as the Canadian readout said, “Prime Minister Trudeau provided an update on the situation between Canada and India, underscoring the importance of respecting the rule of law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”

The latter portion referred to India’s action in asking Canada to pull at least 40 diplomats from the country, with the deadline being Monday. Reports have stated that several Canadian diplomats have been shifted to missions in Singapore and Malaysia.

Trudeau also spoke to Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu but India did not figure in that readout.

Trudeau had also raised the matter with British prime minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday.

Relations between India and Canada have cratered since the Canadian PM made a statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.

Nijjar was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara that he headed in the town of Surrey in the province of British Columbia. Nijjar was considered a terrorist by Indian authorities but no charges had been levelled against him in Canada or tested in a Canadian court.

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