Current:Home > NewsBlinken meets Indian foreign minister as row between India and Canada simmers-LoTradeCoin
Blinken meets Indian foreign minister as row between India and Canada simmers
View Date:2024-12-23 19:14:08
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Thursday with India’s foreign minister amid a simmering row between New Delhi and Ottawa over allegations of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada.
Blinken and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met Thursday at the State Department as the U.S. tries to navigate the dispute between its northern neighbor and the South Asian country critical to its Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China’s rising influence in the region.
Neither man spoke to the controversy that has disrupted Canada-India relations in very brief comments to reporters. U.S. officials had said they expected the topic to be raised. “We have consistently engaged with the Indian government on this question and have urged them to cooperate,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Earlier Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had been told Blinken would address the matter and encourage the Indian government to cooperate with an investigation into the killing.
“The Americans have been with us in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved in following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” Trudeau said.
“This is something all democratic countries, all countries that respect the rule, need to take seriously and we are moving forward in a thoughtful, responsible way anchored in the rule of law with all partners, including in our approach with the government of India,” he told reporters in Montreal.
U.S. officials have acknowledged that the fallout from the allegations, which they take seriously, could have a profound impact on relations with India but have been careful not to cast blame in the June killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was slain in a Vancouver suburb.
Killed by masked gunmen, Nijjar was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, and India had designated him a terrorist.
India’s foreign ministry has dismissed the allegation as “absurd” and accused Canada of harboring “terrorists and extremists.” It also implied that Trudeau was trying to drum up domestic support among the Sikh diaspora.
In his comments, Trudeau said Canada did not want to rupture ties with India but takes the matter seriously.
“As we’ve presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy just last year, we’re very serious with about building closer ties with India,” he said. “At the same time ... we need emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts on this matter.”
___
Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
veryGood! (32574)
Related
- PSA: Coach Outlet Has Stocking Stuffers, Gifts Under $100 & More for the Holidays RN (up to 60% Off)
- Arctic Report Card: Lowest Sea Ice on Record, 2nd Warmest Year
- After months, it's decided: Michiganders will vote on abortion rights in November
- They were turned away from urgent care. The reason? Their car insurance
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- Why Prince Harry Didn't Wear His Military Uniform to King Charles III's Coronation
- Is California’s Drought Returning? Snowpack Nears 2015’s Historic Lows
- The crisis in Jackson shows how climate change is threatening water supplies
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- Recalled Boppy baby lounger now linked to at least 10 infant deaths
Ranking
- Harriet Tubman posthumously honored as general in Veterans Day ceremony: 'Long overdue'
- Today’s Climate: June 3, 2010
- Daily 'breath training' can work as well as medicine to reduce high blood pressure
- Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco Make Rare Appearance At King Charles III's Coronation
- Exclusive Yankee Candle Sale: 50% Off Holiday Candles for a Limited Time
- How to Watch King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla’s Coronation on TV and Online
- Shoppers Praise This NuFACE Device for Making Them Look 10 Years Younger: Don’t Miss This 67% Discount
- Unique Hazards of Tar Sands Oil Spills Confirmed by National Academies of Sciences
Recommendation
-
Medical King recalls 222,000 adult bed assistance rails after one reported death
-
66 clinics stopped providing abortions in the 100 days since Roe fell
-
King Charles III and Queen Camilla Officially Crowned at Coronation
-
Poliovirus detected in more wastewater near New York City
-
Today Reveals Hoda Kotb's Replacement
-
SoCal Gas Knew Aliso Canyon Wells Were Deteriorating a Year Before Leak
-
Planned Parenthood mobile clinic will take abortion to red-state borders
-
What are your chances of catching monkeypox?