Trudeau Meets Modi On Sidelines Of G7 Summit: Here's What Canadian PM Said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau recently had a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. The meeting marked their first encounter since diplomatic relations between Canada and India soured over issues of pro-Khalistani extremism.

"I'm not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues," Trudeau said at a press conference at the G7 Summit.

Photo Credit: PTI

PM Modi shared an image on social media of the two leaders shaking hands, indicating a positive interaction. "Met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit," Modi's post read.

The Canadian Prime Minister's Office reported that the leaders had a "brief discussion on the bilateral relationship," during which Trudeau congratulated Modi on his re-election.

"Of course, there are important issues between our two countries right now. You can appreciate that we won't be making any further statements at this time," a spokesperson said.

Tensions between the two countries escalated in September after Trudeau implicated India in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Nijjar was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, by two masked men. India strongly denied any involvement, calling the allegations "absurd" and politically motivated. As a result, both countries expelled intelligence officers, reduced diplomatic staff, and halted trade talks.

The murder of Nijjar is currently under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which has arrested four Indian nationals in connection with the case. Despite these tensions, Trudeau expressed a commitment to collaborate with India on important issues during his meeting with Modi.

(With agency inputs)