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TRENTON, Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed his Indian counterpart to a G7 summit on Tuesday despite protests over the 2023 murder of a Canadian Sikh separatist in Canada.

Narendra Modi’s invitation by Carney as chair of the G7 was protested Monday by hundreds in nearby Calgary, the city closest to the summit in the resort town of Kananaskis, but the number dropped to about 50 on Tuesday.

Carney said it was ridiculous to exclude the head of a country that has one of the largest economies in the world.

The two men met on the sidelines of the G7 as Modi was an invited guest, not a G7 member.
“It is my great honor to have you here,” Carney told Modi, shaking hands and smiling.

Neither mentioned the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in 2023.

Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was enough evidence to suggest the murder was sanctioned by the Indian government. India denied the allegation.

Nijjar was an ardent supporter of the Khalistan movement, which advocates for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in India's Punjab region. India considered him a terrorist.

Two years later, both countries stress the importance of closer ties as trade wars rip apart longstanding alliances.

The two were particularly interested in partnerships in energy security, artificial intelligence, and the fight against terrorism and covert interference in other countries’ business.

In the days leading up to the summit, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said India was still a foreign interference threat to Canada.

“I’m sure, under your leadership, we will be able to work together in a positive way,” said Modi.

2 sides agree to work on 'early return' of envoys

India’s Foreign Ministry also said the two leaders underlined the need to “pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities.

“In this regard, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals,” it said.

​Last October, both countries expelled each other’s diplomats amid a major deterioration in ties.