Amid Nijjar row, Justin Trudeau says Canada 'serious about closer ties with India'

Amid tension with India over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that he remains committed to building closer ties with India.

Canada-based National Post reported that Trudeau emphasized the importance of Canada and its allies continuing to engage with India "constructively and seriously" given its growing importance on the world stage.

"India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we're very serious about building closer ties with India," he told reporters.

However, Trudeau also stressed that India needs to cooperate with Canada to investigate the allegations against it.

"At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter," he said.