Canada's High Commissioner to India Cameron Mackay on Thursday said that in spite the recent tensions, the strategic interests of India and Canada are "absolutely aligned", and he was encouraged by the continuance of bilateral trade and investment relationship.
Mackay was speaking at a seminar on 'India-Canada Business: The Way Forward' at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gujarat's Gandhinagar. During the event, he said that this annual gathering of investors was a "great platform to reassert our business to business and people to people ties."
"In the past months it has been a time of some tensions between our two countries. It is no secret. But I am encouraged by leadership and vision of business community present here and outside the room to continue with trade and investment relationship which is in the interest of both of our countries," Mackay said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Mackay further stated that the business-to-business ties will support job creation, technology partnership and prosperity of both the countries.
"My advice to my government and that to the Indian government and business community on both sides is to let the governments do what they are doing, let the government do diplomacy but everyone knows that in the long term, Canada's strategic interest and India's strategic interest are absolutely aligned," the high commissioner said, as quoted by PTI. "In the meantime let's have business to business ties. We should work together to make our business and nations friendly again," he added.
Business Relations Between India And Canada Remained Unaffected By Diplomatic Row: Mackay
Cameron Mackay said that the business relations between India and Canada have remained unaffected by the diplomatic row. "Over 100 Indian companies have invested in Canada and over 600 Canadian companies are present in India. Yesterday, I visited the McCain plant here in Gujarat," he stated, as quoted by PTI.
India-Canada Diplomatic Row
Last year, the ties between India and Canada saw some bitterness after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India was involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in his country. India denied the allegations and called them absurd. Nijjar was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey city on June 18.
The Canadian allegations were followed by a US indictment in November outlining a foiled plot to kill a Canadian-American Sikh activist.