According to a State Department official, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the assassination of a Sikh separatist advocate in Canada with his Indian counterpart on Thursday and asked India to help with the Canadian probe.
On Friday, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he had discussed Canadian claims about New Delhi’s participation in the June death of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada with Blinken and Sullivan.
“They shared U.S. views and assessments on this whole situation, and I explained to them at some length… a summary of my concerns,” Jaishankar said at a Hudson Institute event in Washington.
Justin Trudeau informed parliament earlier this month that Canada feared Indian government operatives were involved in the death of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, straining relations with India.
The incident has put the U.S. in an awkward diplomatic position, as Canada is a neighbor and formal ally; Washington has been focused on developing relations with India as a key partner to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. The State Department readout of Blinken and Jaishankar’s meeting on Thursday did not mention the Najjar issue. Still, an unnamed U.S. official confirmed late Thursday that Blinken had urged India to cooperate in the investigation.
A State Department spokesman said the two “discussed a full range of issues impacting the important, strategic, and consequential relationship between the United States and India” at their meeting on Friday. The official readout listed the significant themes.
“Secretary Blinken also urged India to fully cooperate with the ongoing Canadian investigation,” the spokeswoman said. Trudeau said in Quebec on Thursday that Blinken will discuss Jaishankar. Indian authorities labeled Canadian Nijjar a “terrorist.” He advocated Sikh independence from India or Khalistan.
Analysts say Washington and other key powers perceive India as a counterweight to China, which is why traditional Canadian allies like the U.S. have taken a cautious stance.
On Tuesday, Jaishankar claimed New Delhi had warned Canada it would investigate “specific” or “relevant” killing information. Last Thursday, Trudeau claimed he discussed “credible allegations” with India “many weeks ago.” Last week, Blinken and Sullivan claimed Washington was “deeply concerned” by Trudeau’s charges.
The U.S. ambassador to Canada told Canadian television that the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Britain—gathered some case information.
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