Jaishankar, Canadian Foreign Minister held secret meeting to resolve diplomatic standoff: Report

The foreign ministers of India and Canada had reportedly held a secret meeting recently amid the diplomatic standoff between both the countries over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

As per a report in the British newspaper Financial Times, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly held the secret meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar in Washington in the midst of the diplomatic stand-off between the two countries over Canada alleging that India was involved in the killing of Nijjar.

The report further stated that the Canadian government was trying to resolve the diplomatic stand-off, following reports of Canadian diplomats being asked to leave India or risk losing their diplomatic immunity. 

Meanwhile, neither of the countries' foreign ministries have confirmed anything about the meeting. 

Melanie Joly had said earlier this month that they are trying to resolve the issue privately.

"We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats' safety very seriously, and we will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private," Joly had said after the Indian government's directive to reduce Canadian diplomatic staff in the country. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had also stated that his country does not want to "escalate the situation" with India and confirmed that Canada would continue to "engage responsibly and constructively with New Delhi".

A recent report by Canada's CTV News mentioned that the Canadian government relocated about 30 diplomatic staff members from India to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

The relations between India and Canada worsened after Justin Trudeau alleged a "potential" involvement of Indian agents" in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Nijjar was reportedly a Canadian citizen and was shot dead by two masked gunmen on June 18.

Dismissing the allegations, India called the charges "absurd' and "motivated." Responding to Canada's expulsion of an Indian official, the Indian government had also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat. Later citing Canada's "higher diplomatic presence" in India, the External Affairs Ministry further asked Ottawa to reduce staff to "reach parity" in diplomatic presence.