India Names Dinesh K Patnaik as High Commissioner to Canada Amidst Diplomatic Rapprochement

Senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. Patnaik currently serves as India’s Ambassador to Spain, a position he has held since November 2021. He is expected to assume his new role in Canada shortly. This appointment arrives as New Delhi and Ottawa work to normalize diplomatic relations, nearly nine months after India withdrew its High Commissioner and several senior diplomats due to escalating bilateral tensions. Both countries are focused on reinstating High Commissioners in their respective capitals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed the importance of bilateral ties during a meeting at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, and agreed to take steps to restore stability in the relationship. Diplomatic relations had significantly deteriorated the previous year following allegations by then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, which India strongly refuted. In response to the allegations, India recalled several diplomats and expelled Canadian diplomats. With Mark Carney now serving as the Canadian Prime Minister, both countries appear to be taking steps to improve ties, as highlighted by the recent discussions at the G7 Summit to strengthen the bilateral relationship.