20 September, New Delhi India: On Wednesday, the Indian Army said that the current strained ties between India and Canada “don’t impact us” and that India’s “diplomatic approach, military records with Canada continue.”
General Abhinaya Rai, Additional Director General (Strategic Planning) of the Indian Army, announced that General Wayne Eyre, the Chief of Defence Staff of Canada, will be visiting India for the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference on September 26 and 27 at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantonment.
For a free and open Indo-Pacific, armed forces from all over the world meet periodically at this conference to iron out their disagreements, establish trust, and improve communication.
In addition to co-hosting three events with Indian Army Chief of Staff General Manoj Pande, US Army Chief of Staff General James C. McConville and his entourage will be in attendance.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed the Indian government on Monday for the death of a designated terrorist in India named Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leading to a deterioration in ties between India and Canada. India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) has dismissed the claims as “absurd” and “motivated,” and they have been widely discredited.
A further deterioration of relations was signalled when Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that an Indian diplomat in Canada had been removed.
On Tuesday, India took retaliatory action by expelling a senior Canadian diplomat and giving him five days to depart the country.
Canada’s prime minister seemed to back down from his previous aggressive stance against India on Tuesday after receiving significant criticism.
Trudeau told reporters, “We are not looking to provoke or escalate, we want to work with the government of India to lay everything clear and ensure there are proper processes.”
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leader of the terrorist group Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead on June 18 in a parking lot next to a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. (ANI)
