Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has said he spoke to UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed about India and "the importance of upholding – and respecting – the rule of law" amid the ongoing diplomatic row between New Delhi and Ottawa on the killing of Khalistani symphathiser Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Trudeau tweeted, "On the phone today, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and I spoke about the current situation in Israel. We expressed our deep concern and discussed the need to protect civilian life. We also spoke about India and the importance of upholding – and respecting – the rule of law."
This comes after Trudeau recently spoke with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and both leaders underscored the importance of de-escalation of the row.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has been coordinating with its mission in Ottawa and consulates in other Canadian cities over safety concerns.
“We have been taking up concerns of security of our diplomats and premises from people there who are wanted by our security and our judicial systems, and we will continue to do that as that is a continued conversation. The issue is about security, and our diplomats are safe and the community is not targeted,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
India has also asserted that Canada must reduce its diplomatic presence in the country to achieve parity in strength and alleged that some of the Canadian diplomats are involved in interfering in New Delhi's internal matters.
Bagchi said discussions on the modalities to arrive at a mutual diplomatic presence are going on and gave a clear indication that India will not review its position on the issue.
Ties between the two countries were strained after the allegations made by Trudeau claiming an India link to the killing of Nijjar and the subsequent expulsion of an Indian diplomat. India also retaliated in a tit-for-tat move expelling a Canadian diplomat and dismissing the comments as absurd.