India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, recently spoke at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, addressing various issues including the accusations against Canada of being a safe haven for terrorism. Jaishankar reiterated India’s stance and stated that India is open to any specific information regarding the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. However, Canada did not provide any such information.
The crisis between India and Canada arose when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing. New Delhi denied the allegation and suspended visa services in Canada due to security threats. Jaishankar also highlighted the long-standing tensions between the two countries, dating back to the 1980s.
During his speech, Jaishankar emphasized Canada’s permissive attitude towards terrorists and extremists operating within its borders. He stated that this poses a significant threat to India, as it combines organized crime, trafficking, violence, secessionism, and terrorism. Jaishankar also noted that tensions with Canada have reached a point where Indian diplomats feel unsafe on Canadian territory.
The External Affairs Minister revealed that he discussed the Canada issue with Jake Sullivan and Antony Blinken during their meeting in the US, and they shared the US views and assessment of the situation. He further emphasized that India is a non-Western country and not anti-Western.
Additionally, Jaishankar highlighted the importance of the working relationship between India and the US, emphasizing the need to overcome historical hesitations and forge ahead in uncharted territory. He mentioned the economic crisis in Sri Lanka and alluded to the long-term problems faced by a country to the west of India without explicitly naming Pakistan.
Furthermore, Jaishankar expressed the exceptional stability of the India-Russia relationship compared to other major international relationships. He speculated that Russia’s relationship with the West has broken down, leading to a greater focus on its relationship with Asian countries.
Overall, Jaishankar’s speech shed light on the strained India-Canada relationship due to terrorism allegations, highlighted the importance of India’s relationship with the US, and underscored the stability in India’s relationship with Russia.
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