Justin Trudeau says met PM Modi in Laos: Real issues we need to solve

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said he had a “brief exchange” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a summit in Laos. According to Trudeau, he spoke to PM Modi about the “work that we need to do”, alluding to the strained ties between the two nations after he alleged New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
“I emphasised that there is work that we need to do,” Trudeau told reporters at a press conference in Laos.
“I won’t go into details about what we talked about, but what I have said many times is that the safety of Canadians and upholding the rule of law is one of the fundamental responsibilities of any Canadian government, and that’s what I’ll stay focused on,” he added.
Trudeau said Canada needs to continue to develop its trade ties and people to people ties with India, “but there are real issues that we need to solve and we’re going to stay focused on that”.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, chief of Khalistan Tiger Force and wanted by the Indian government, was killed in a targeted shooting in Canada’s Surrey in June 2023.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that there were “credible allegations” that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Nijjar. India dismissed Trudeau’s charges as “absurd” and “motivated”.
Four Indian nationals are accused of murder and conspiracy in connection to Nijjar’s murder.
After Canada’s allegations, the US also reported it was investigating an alleged assassination plot of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun with links to India.
An unsealed US document in November 2023 alleged officials in New Delhi offered USD 1,00,000 to a drug dealer named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to kill Pannun in New York.
India stated that it had launched an investigation into the allegations.
Last month, a US court issued summons to the Indian government, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel in connection with the Pannun case.