British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau have underscored the importance of de-escalation of the India-Canada diplomatic row and respect for the rule of law during a call between the two leaders.

The British India leader spoke to Canada’s premier on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India, according to a Downing Street statement. Both leaders agreed to stay in contact as Sunak reaffirmed the UK position of respect for the rule of law after Canada’s allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“Prime Minister Trudeau updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India,” reads the Downing Street statement.

“The Prime Minister [Sunak] reaffirmed the UK’s position that all countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law, including the principles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He hoped to see a de-escalation in the situation and agreed to remain in contact with Prime Minister Trudeau on the next steps,” it said.

The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office from Ottawa echoed the statement, saying that Trudeau provided an update on the current situation between Canada and India.

“The leaders emphasised respect for the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the need to ensure the safety and security of their citizens. They underscored the importance of de-escalation in this context. Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Sunak agreed to remain in close contact and to continue working together to tackle global issues,” the Canadian government statement reads.

The call comes in the wake of Trudeau’s statement in the Canadian Parliament last month that its security forces were “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June, an allegation strongly rejected by India as “absurd and motivated”.

Canada has evacuated most of its diplomats serving in India, relocating them to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, following a deadline issued by India to reduce its diplomatic staff.

The Indian government has given Ottawa until October 10 to lessen Canadian diplomatic staff in the country to a level on par with the number of Indian diplomats in Canada, PTI quoted CTV News sources as saying.

“A majority of the Canadian diplomats working in India outside of Delhi have been evacuated to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore,” PTI quoted the report as saying.

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