America did not mention India-Canada dispute when S Jaishankar met Blinken
The India-Canada standoff over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar was not mentioned in the US State Department’s readout of the conversation between S Jaishankar and Antony Blinken on Thursday.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington on Thursday and discussed a range of issues, but there was no mention of the controversy over Canada’s allegations that India was involved in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India in 2020, was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly alleged that Indian government agents were linked to the murder, but has offered no evidence so far.
Mr Jaishankar has assured Canada that India is “ready to consider” if “something specific and relevant” is provided.
The India-Canada standoff over Nijjar’s killing was not mentioned in the US State Department’s readout of the conversation between Mr Jaishankar and Mr Blinken on Thursday. The US State Department said the issues they discussed included key outcomes of India’s G20 presidency, the creation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
“The Secretary and the Secretary of State emphasized the continued importance of cooperation ahead of the upcoming 2+2 dialogue, particularly in the areas of defense, space, and clean energy,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said