OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada announced on Thursday that it had appointed a new high commissioner, or ambassador, to India in the latest sign of improving ties between the two trading partners.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter would take up the post, which had been vacant since the previous incumbent left last year.
“The appointment of a new High Commissioner reflects Canada’s step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India,” Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a statement.
Relations turned chilly in 2023 when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi of involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist. India, which denied the charge, withdrew its high commissioner in October after Canadian officials linked him to the murder.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has stressed the importance of diversifying trade away from the United States, met Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in June for what both sides called a productive meeting.
India is Canada’s top source of temporary foreign workers and international students, as well as an important market for pulses such as lentils and yellow peas.
The appointment of a new high commissioner came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50% took effect, delivering a serious blow to ties.
(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee, writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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