NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand met on the margins of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada, amidst efforts by both sides to rebuild the relationship after the diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023. While both sides appreciated progress in implementation of the new roadmap that was launched during Anand’s visit to India last month, the Canadian minister also stressed the significance of ongoing law enforcement dialogue between the two countries. While India sees the dialogue as important to check the anti-India activities of Khalistan separatists in Canada, Ottawa considers essential for the safety and security of its own citizens. In an interview to ToI last month, Anand had said Canadians have the right to feel safe and secure in their own country. “Appreciated the progress in implementation of the New Roadmap 2025. Look forward to the further rebuilding of our bilateral partnership,” said Jaishankar after the meeting. India was among the guest countries that were invited to participate in the G7 meeting in the Niagara-on-the-Lake town. After the 2 sides announced a series of measures last month in a joint statement to normalise the relationship, including through trade discussions, Canada’s minister for international trade Maninder Sidhu arrived in India on Wednesday to explore opportunities in trade and investment. However, Ottawa also maintains, and as Anand reiterated at a press event, rule of law and public safety concerns are foremost in the advancement of the relationship. Anand recalled the joint statement that sought a constructive relationship based on mutual respect for rule of law and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity Significantly, Anand, who has maintained that Canada will carry forward the relationship with a step-by-step approach, also asserted that the normalisation will be contingent on the law enforcement dialogue. “We are taking the relationship step by step to ensure that we are stressing the importance of public safety and security in the interests of all Canadian citizens, first and foremost…it will be systematic, and it will not occur unless we can ensure that this public safety dialogue continues,” said Anand in an interview to Canada’s CBC Radio. She was responding to a query on whether Canada can have a relationship with a country accused of violating its sovereignty.
