India Ends Diplomatic Freeze With Canada, Names New Envoy

NEW DELHI/OTTAWA- India on August 28 announced that Dinesh K. Patnaik, presently Ambassador to Spain, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner to Canada.

Patnaik, a career diplomat, is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

The appointment comes more than 10 months after New Delhi had withdrawn its previous High Commissioner to Ottawa.

The ties between India and Canada had soured after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Canadian Parliament said he had ‘credible allegations’ of India’s hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

A major diplomatic row had erupted when Canada labelled India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation of Nijjar’s death.

With Mark Carney taking over as the Canadian PM, and sweeping losses by the NDP led by Jagmeet Singh, some calibrated steps to restore India-Canada ties have been taken, leading to Patnaik’s appointment.

In June, Carney extended an invite to PM Modi for the G7 Outreach Summit in Kananaskis and both leaders held a pivotal bilateral meeting aimed at reviving the strained ties between both nations.

As an initial move, both leaders had agreed to restore High Commissioners to each other’s capitals at the earliest opportunity. (IANS)