OTTAWA: In a move signaling an effort to improve their strained relationship, India and Canada have announced the appointment of new high commissioners. Veteran diplomats Dinesh K. Patnaik and Christopher Cooter have been named as the new high commissioners by India and Canada, respectively. The appointments come 10 months after both countries expelled their top representatives, following a diplomatic fallout over the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and one of the country’s most senior diplomats, is expected to assume his new role as High Commissioner to Canada shortly. He is currently serving as the Indian Ambassador to Spain.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, announced that Christopher Cooter will become the High Commissioner to India, bringing with him 35 years of diplomatic service. In a statement, Anand said that Cooter’s appointment reflects Canada’s “step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India.”
Tensions between Canada and India escalated in June 2023, following allegations of a potential Indian government link to the murder of separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The diplomatic spat led to the expulsion of diplomats from both nations. The two countries’ leaders, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had agreed to reinstate senior diplomats during their first bilateral meeting in Canada in June.
