India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday he will attend the Group of Seven leaders summit in Canada this month after receiving an invitation from the new Canadian premier.
India is not a member of the G7 but Modi has been invited to attend previous summits since 2019, when France invited him to Biarritz.
“Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada,” Modi said in a statement posted on social media.
“Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month… look forward to our meeting at the summit.”
A statement from Carney´s office said the call addressed “the longstanding relationship between Canada and India,” adding that Carney was looking forward to hosting Modi at the G7.
The statements boosted hopes of a reset of fraught relations between New Delhi and Ottawa.
Ties between Canada and India were strained following accusations of New Delhi’s involvement in the assassination of a Canadian Sikh, claims India denied.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside India. That community includes activists for “Khalistan”, a fringe separatist movement seeking an independent state for the religious minority carved out of Indian territory.
Ottawa previously accused India of orchestrating the 2023 killing in Vancouver of 45-year-old naturalised Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistan campaigner, and targeting other Sikh activists connected to the movement.
India has repeatedly dismissed the allegations, which sent diplomatic relations into freefall with both nations last year expelling a string of top diplomats.
In an apparent reference to the tensions, the Canadian statement said “there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns.”
The Khalistan campaign dates back to India’s 1947 independence and has been blamed for the assassination of a prime minister and the bombing of a passenger jet.
It has been a bitter issue between India and several Western nations with large Sikh populations.
New Delhi demands stricter action against the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India, with key leaders accused of “terrorism”.
