Washington - External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is slated to hold a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Thursday. This encounter occurs amidst the ongoing diplomatic dispute between India and Canada stemming from the killing of a Khalistani separatist.

Although both sides have remained discreet regarding the meeting's specific agenda, the recent diplomatic rift between India and its longstanding ally, Canada, is expected to feature prominently in the discussions.

Blinken and Jaishankar previously met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on Friday, September 22. However, during this UNGA meeting, the India-Canada diplomatic issue did not surface, as clarified by Matthew Miller, the State Department Spokesperson, who pointed out that the UNGA meeting was not a bilateral one.

The two leaders are scheduled to participate in a photo session before their meeting, but they are not expected to field questions from the media.

Although the meeting had been planned prior to the emergence of the Canadian crisis, the United States has been urging India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation into the incident involving Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused the Indian government of orchestrating the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. India officially designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

India has rebuffed these allegations as "baseless" and "biased," responding with the expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomat, reciprocating Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official. Additionally, India has called upon Canada to take decisive action against terrorists and individuals with anti-India affiliations operating from its territory, which led to the suspension of visa services for Canadians.

Matthew Miller, the State Department Spokesperson, clarified that this issue was not discussed during the Quad ministerial meeting held in New York, which involved foreign ministers from the US, India, Japan, and Australia. Given that it was a multinational gathering, the matter did not arise. Nevertheless, the State Department spokesperson emphasized that they have engaged with their Indian counterparts on this issue, urging them to provide full cooperation to the Canadian investigation.