India to Skip G7 Summit in Canada Amid Strained Bilateral Ties
India is set to skip this year’s G7 summit in Canada, marking the first time in six years that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the high-level gathering of the world’s most advanced economies. According to sources, no advance preparations have been made for the Prime Minister’s visit—typically a standard protocol ahead of such engagements—signalling India’s decision to abstain from participation.
The G7 comprises the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada. The European Union is also a participant, along with regular invitees such as the IMF, World Bank, and United Nations. The host nation traditionally sets the summit’s agenda, invites guests, and steers the discussions according to its own strategic and diplomatic priorities.
This year’s summit is being hosted by Canada, a country with which India’s relations have significantly soured in recent months. Tensions erupted following the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023. Subsequently, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of involvement in the incident—a claim India strongly refuted as “baseless” and politically motivated.
Amid these ongoing diplomatic strains, speculation about India’s non-participation has grown in recent weeks. In multiple press briefings last month, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that there was “no information” regarding a possible visit by Prime Minister Modi to Canada for the summit.
India's absence from this year’s G7 meeting is being viewed in diplomatic circles as a sign of the continuing chill in Indo-Canadian relations.
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