Amid the ongoing diplomatic tension between India and Canada regarding the case of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has made her first public confirmation of being in contact with India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar. Speaking at the Economic Club of Canada, Mélanie Joly emphasized the importance of people-to-people connections between India and Canada. This confirmation from the Canadian Foreign Minister follows media reports suggesting that Jaishankar and Mélanie Joly held a meeting in the United States. Notably, Mélanie Joly has also expressed Canada’s desire for private discussions with India to resolve the diplomatic dispute. Diplomatic relations between the two countries had soured after Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau made what India considered to be “absurd” allegations.