Commonwealth_ Canada has now appointed a High Commissioner to India, a step in the right direction to repair bilateral relations and boost economic cooperation between India and Canada. It follows elevated tensions and trade disparities and outstanding diplomatic resolution of security and international law issues.
The new ambassador has 35 years of diplomatic experience and, until now, was Canada’s highest-ranking diplomat in Israel and South Africa. He was in New Delhi from 1998 to 2000, and this provided him with extremely close familiarity with India’s political and economic landscape. This knowledge is bound to prove useful while handling the delicate diplomatic issue and forging new diplomatic relations between Ottawa and New Delhi.
The nomination occurs in the context of heightened tensions related to tariffs and trade. United States President Donald Trump recently imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports in a bid to discourage the importation of Russian crude oil. Trump also increased the tariff rates on certain Canadian exports to 35% as part of a sweeping action aimed at constraining North American trade flows. All these actions have increased pressure on Canada and India to achieve balanced diplomacy while maintaining their individual economic interests.
India and Canada have strained diplomatic relations after a call for some top-tier diplomats to leave in October 2023. Ottawa summoned six Indian diplomats to leave on suspicion of their involvement in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and New Delhi also summoned six Canadian diplomats to leave in retaliation, including the then-acting high commissioner. The gunning down of Nijjar, a terror-banned Indian since 2020, near a Sikh gurudwara in June 2023 further intensified the tensions.
The government of Canada also expressed concern over reports it deemed credible, suggesting that Indian government officials were involved in the assassination. India dismissed the rumours but once more accused Canada of harbouring Sikh separatists, casting another shadow on diplomatic weather. Sending an old hand out as a diplomat is supposed to enable the two countries to put such issues behind them, rebuild trust, and talk about mutual interests such as trade, security cooperation, and cultural exchange.
The reappointment of a High Commissioner also takes into account the resumption of the most basic services to Canadians in India, i.e., visa and consular services. Canadian businesses with interests in India and Indian businesses with interests in Canada require effective diplomatic representation to facilitate trade and investment exchange. His experience of the Indian political process and economic policy will benefit him in bridging his interface and negotiations on such issues that range from tariffs and trade barriers to bilateral investment treaties.
Aside from economic interest, the Canadian appointment also suggests the real strategic interest in Canada-India relations. They both belong to other multilateral clubs, such as the Commonwealth and share identical interests in international security, climate change, and multilateralism. Having favourable diplomatic relationships is therefore not only desirable for bilateral trade but also for regional and international cooperation as well.
The incoming High Commissioner will also have the mandate of advocating for negotiations of paramount counter-terrorism and security matters. Given the history of mistrust accruing from past events, we must carefully employ diplomacy in the pursuit of answers without chronic tension. Rapprochement would involve matters such as intelligence sharing, coordination of law enforcement, and collaboration on counter-extremist measures, all aimed at advancing Canada’s diplomatic objectives and supporting Canadians abroad.
The coming months will be watched with enormous interest by governments, business elites, and the wider world as the new High Commissioner moves into shop to study onerous trade grievances, diplomatic niceties, and cooperative long-term aspirations. This indicates Canada’s readiness to reconcile with India and the ability of diplomacy to mitigate intense global rivalry.
