Efforts to mend ties strained by diplomatic disputes in 2023 and 2024 have gained momentum, with India and Canada appointing new High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.

In a bid to restore normalcy, both nations have turned to seasoned diplomats: Canada has named Christopher Cooter, while India has chosen Dinesh Patnaik. Their experience is expected to help steer relations away from the turbulence of recent years.

Patnaik, who is currently posted in Spain, is preparing for what will likely be his final diplomatic assignment before retirement. Cooter, meanwhile, brings more than three decades of service in Canada’s foreign affairs establishment.

Canada’s Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, said, “The appointment of a new High Commissioner reflects Canada’s step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India. This appointment is an important development toward restoring services for Canadians while strengthening the bilateral relationship to support Canada’s economy.”

Only this morning, Anita Anand announced the appointment of a new envoy to India, more than 10 months after security officials accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of espionage and violence, rupturing diplomatic ties.

She announced that veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter will become High Commissioner for Canada to India. The senior role is akin to an ambassador in Commonwealth countries.

“This is an important development toward restoring services for Canadians while strengthening the bilateral relationship to support Canada’s economy,” Anand said in a statement.

According to his biography, Cooter served most recently as Canada’s chargé d’affaires to Israel and as Canada’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Madagascar.

He also had a posting in New Delhi from 1998 to 2000.

Though India had announced the appointment of Patnaik as its next High Commissioner to Canada in June, the formality was completed on August 28 shortly after Canada made its announcement.

Also, a veteran diplomat, Patnaik is serving as India’s ambassador to Spain. New Delhi said he’s expected to take up the Canadian posting “shortly.”

The two countries expelled senior diplomats last fall after the RCMP accused the Indian government of playing a role in a network of violence in Canada, including homicides and extortion.

Canada alleged that Indian diplomats were collecting information about Canadians.

The Thanksgiving weekend news conference from the RCMP followed then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing in the House of Commons that Canada had evidence linking Indian agents to the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C.

The stunning allegations triggered a series of expulsions. In October of last year, Canada announced it would expel six Indian diplomats and consular staff.

In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced that it was withdrawing its envoy at the time, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and expelling Canada’s High Commissioner and six diplomats.

However, India has denied the Canadian accusations.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has worked to renew ties with India, pointing to its growing economy, its role in supply chains, and the sheer number of Canadians with ties to the country.

The two countries have also promised to work on reinstating visa services. Carney’s approach to India has come under fire.

In a statement on August 28, the Sikh Federation of Canada said the renewed relationship comes without any indication to the public that India has taken responsibility for its actions “after two years of open hostility and violence in Canada.”

“This is not diplomacy — it is impunity,” said spokesperson M. Singh.

“It undermines trust in Canadian institutions, suggests that commercial and geopolitical considerations outrank justice, and risks entrenching the very networks that Canadian security agencies warn against.”

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service published its annual report in June, warning that India remains a concern for foreign interference.

“Canada must remain vigilant about continued foreign interference conducted by the Government of India, not only within ethnic, religious, and cultural communities but also in Canada’s political system,” the report reads.

Christopher Cooter is the second diplomat appointed in India. Earlier, Canada named its new Consul-General in Mumbai.

Christopher Cooter’s distinguished career spans law, policy, and diplomacy. After training in political science and law, he began his career practicing law before entering government service in 1989. 

Over the years, he has held several senior roles in Ottawa, worked on intergovernmental and policy planning, and represented Canada abroad in postings across Africa, Asia, and Europe. His most recent assignments were as High Commissioner to South Africa and surrounding nations, along with ambassadorial roles in Madagascar and several other countries.

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