Canada & India Ease Tensions with Appointment of New High Commissioners

In the midst of one of the most severe diplomatic crises in recent decades, India and Canada appointed senior diplomats Dinesh K. Patnaik and Christopher Cooter as their new high commissioners. The positions had been unfilled for more than ten months.

India's ambassador to Spain, Patnaik, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1990, will soon begin his duties in Ottawa, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Cooter's appointment as Canada's high commissioner to India was confirmed by Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who described it as a "significant step towards restoring necessary diplomatic services to citizens and businesses in both countries."

Key Highlights

• Canada and India ease diplomatic strains by appointing seasoned high commissioners amid thaw in relations.
• New envoys symbolize renewed engagement following 2023 tensions over the Nijjar killing and diplomatic expulsions.

Following claims made by then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023 that Indian government agents were responsible for the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, the appointments represent a cautious step toward normalizing relations that had drastically deteriorated. The accusation was rejected by India as "absurd and politically motivated."

Following the incident, both nations reduced the effectiveness of their diplomatic missions, suspended trade talks, and expelled diplomats. Sanjay Verma, New Delhi's former ambassador to Ottawa, and five other officials were removed when Canadian authorities attempted to interrogate them in relation to the Nijjar case. Stewart Wheeler, the acting high commissioner at the time, was among six Canadian diplomats expelled by India in retaliation.

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Since Cameron MacKay's departure in the summer of 2023, Canada has been without a high commissioner in New Delhi, which has resulted in a notable lapse in diplomatic relations.

Even though Canada takes 120 days to complete the agrément—a formal diplomatic approval process—for new foreign envoys, Patnaik's case was expedited, indicating a shared desire to resume communication. The return of high-level diplomatic representation indicates that both parties are now attempting to stabilize the relationship and move toward normalcy, even though the deeper political tensions have not been resolved.