Days after India-China thaw, Doval and Sullivan discuss regional security

On Thursday, the US State Department described Canada’s allegations against Shah as “concerning”. “The allegations made by the government of Canada are concerning, and we will continue to consult with the<  Canadian government about those allegations,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller was quoted by PTI as telling reporters at his daily news conference.

About two weeks ago, a US court named a former Indian intelligence officer as an alleged conspirator in the failed plot against US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Meanwhile, Canadian officials alleged before a parliamentary committee there that Shah was involved in the plot that led to the assassination of Canada-based Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

While an Indian probe team visited the US recently to engage with American authorities in the Pannun case, India has dismissed Canada’s charges as “completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations”.

The Doval-Sullivan call was made public by the White House in a statement issued days before the US polls on November 5. “US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by phone today with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval,” the statement said. “The two leaders discussed regional security developments, underscoring the need for further efforts to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally,” it said.

“They welcomed progress in the bilateral partnership, including through the upcoming Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) Intersessional and Indian Ocean Dialogue. They also discussed further opportunities for closer collaboration in key domains, including clean energy supply chains and defense cooperation,” it said.

Doval and Sullivan played a crucial role in establishing the iCET initiative, which has been one of the key achievements in the Biden administration’s focus on the India-US ties.

Doval did not accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to the US in September with sources pointing to elections in J&K and other domestic commitments. Incidentally, the Indian NSA was among those summoned days earlier by the US court hearing the lawsuit filed by Pannun seeking damages for the alleged assassination plot.