Toronto: India’s High Commissioner-designate to Canada Dinesh Patnaik has arrived in Ottawa and is expected to formally assume charge in the coming days.
As is customary, Patnaik met with Chief of Protocol of Canada Sebastien Carriere on Monday to present a copy of his credentials. However, he will assume charge as High Commissioner after the formal ceremony where he presents the credentials to Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon. That is expected to occur “shortly”, a person familiar with the process said.
“Very pleased to welcome to Canada His Excellency Dinesh K Patnaik, High Commissioner-designate of India,” Carriere posted on LinkedIn.
Patnaik’s arrival in Ottawa brings to an end the absence of the High Commissioner in Canada for nearly 11 months.
Meanwhile, Patnaik’s counterpart in New Delhi Christopher Cooter has also arrived in the Indian capital. On Tuesday, the Canadian High Commission posted greetings on X, “Namaste and a very warm welcome to Canada’s High Commissioner-designate to India, Mr. Christopher Cooter! Thrilled to have you join us.”
It added that the mission looked forward to “reinvigorating and further enhancing the strong and multi-faceted” ties between the two countries.
New Delhi withdrew its previous envoy to Ottawa, Sanjay Verma, with five other officials last October when Canadian authorities sought to question them in relation to the murder of Nijjar. In retaliation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats, including then Acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler.
India-Canada relations cratered when then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 that Indian agents were linked to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the town of Surrey that year. India dismissed the charge as “absurd” and both sides paused talks on a trade deal and downgraded diplomatic relations.
{{/usCountry}}India-Canada relations cratered when then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 that Indian agents were linked to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the town of Surrey that year. India dismissed the charge as “absurd” and both sides paused talks on a trade deal and downgraded diplomatic relations.
{{/usCountry}}Patnaik has more than 30 years of experience in assignments within India and abroad and served as Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom between 2016 and 2018. He also served in India’s missions in Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing and Vienna, and in the divisions focusing on Africa, Europe (West), the UN and external publicity in the External Affairs Ministry.
Cooter has served as Canada’s High Commissioner to South Africa and as a political officer in the mission in New Delhi in the 1990s.
The announcement of the restoration of High Commissioners in the two capitals came following a breakthrough meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis in June this year.
The two Prime Ministers had agreed on several steps to reset the bilateral relationship.