UK to continue trade talks with India despite Canadian allegations

London, September 19: The United Kingdom has asserted its commitment to continue trade talks with India, despite Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations against India concerning the death of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed this on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

The spokesperson stated, "Work on the trade negotiations will continue as before. The Canadian authorities will now conduct their work, and I'm not going to preempt them."

Furthermore, the official reaffirmed that Canada and the UK were in contact regarding the "serious allegations" but stressed that these allegations would not impact the ongoing negotiations for a trade agreement with India.

Regarding the trade negotiations with India, the spokesperson added, "When we have concerns about countries we are negotiating trade deals with, we will raise them directly with the government concerned. But with regards to the current negotiations with India, these are negotiations about a trade deal, and we're not looking to conflate them with other issues."

It's noteworthy that India and the UK are actively negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, with discussions commencing in 2022. The 12th round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from August 8 to 31 this year.

During his recent visit to India for the G20 Summit, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasised the strong bond between the two nations, rooted in shared values and a passion for cricket. The leaders discussed various aspects of the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, science, and ways to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

India swiftly rejected the allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the Indian government's involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the allegations "absurd" and "motivated."

The allegations arose after Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was fatally shot outside a Gurdwara in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.