Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Snubbed in India? No G20 Bilateral Meet, Just A ‘Pull Aside’. Here's Why

Was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau snubbed in India, where he arrived for the G20 summit in New Delhi?

The Canadian media and X, previously Twitter, were abuzz with such claims. Here’s why.

NO BILATERAL MEETING: ANTI-INDIA ACTIVITIES OF EXTREMIST ELEMENTS IN CANADA CONCERNING, PM MODI TELLS TRUDEAU

As Trudeau headed to India for G20, addressing the media in Singapore, he had said he would raise the issue of “foreign interference" in internal affairs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India has maintained that there has been no interference and that it has only raised concerns over Khalistani extremism being fostered in Canada. In the recent past, the Indian Mission has been threatened with death and targeted in several pro-Khalistan rallies in Canada.

However, there was no formal bilateral meeting between Modi and Trudeau.

Instead, Modi and Trudeau engaged in pull-aside talks. The decision was taken amid India’s concerns over growing Khalistan extremism in Canada. The Khalistan issue will come up in the talks. A pull aside is an informal meeting, a step down from a bilateral meeting, which can happen even in hallways.

According to sources, Trudeau has not been participating much in multi-lateral meetings and has not been given much coverage.

The statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after their meeting stated: “Prime Minister Trudeau congratulated Prime Minister on the success of India’s G20 Presidency. Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties. He conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship. The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats. Prime Minister also mentioned that a relationship based on mutual respect and trust is essential for the progress of India-Canada relationship."

NO POST WELCOMING TRUDEAU ON ARRIVAL

While Modi, through his account on X, posted messages welcoming US president Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among others, there was no post welcoming Trudeau.

CANADA’s UNEXPECTED PAUSE ON TRADE TREATY

On September 1, days ahead of the visit, Canada unexpectedly said it had paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India, just three months after the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year. Canada and India have been talking off and on since 2010 about a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. The talks were formally relaunched last year.

“Trade negotiations are long, complex processes. And we’ve paused to take stock of where we are," Reuters quoted a government official telling reporters ahead of the New Delhi trip.

India’s envoy to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, had told the Canadian Press that Ottawa had sought a pause “within the last month", but had not explained why.

India and Canada said in May they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year to increase trade and expand investment while setting out a mechanism to deal with disputes.

Inputs from Agencies