By DC Correspondent

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New Delhi: In a bid to rebuild trust and expand cooperation at the highest levels of political leadership, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval held talks with his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin on Thursday. Giving out the contours of the talks, the Ministry External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday termed the talks as a ‘new chapter’ in the Indo-Canada ties.Among several things, India and Canada have agreed to adopt a collaborative approach in their bilateral ties and work closely to combat terrorism and transnational crimes. The threats from Khalistani outfits and their efforts to destabilise India also figured in the talks. It is learnt that the Indian side expressed concerns over the rising Khalistan extremism from Canadian soil and sought assurances on the security of Indian diplomats and missions.The MEA said the visit was a part of the regular bilateral security dialogue between the two sides. It was also an opportunity to follow-up on the discussions between the Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Carney on the side-lines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada.”Both sides acknowledged the clear momentum for rebuilding trust and expanding cooperation at the highest levels of political leadership. They had productive discussions on advancing the bilateral relationship including in areas such as counter terrorism, combating transnational organised crime and intelligence exchanges. They agreed to strengthen security cooperation and further reinforce existing mechanisms of engagement. The two NSAs also deliberated on the priority areas for future cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global developments,” the MEA said in a statement adding the two sides agreed to work closely on the way forward and adopt a collaborative approach towards a new chapter in bilateral relations.India and Canada had an ugly diplomatic spat in 2023 over the killing of a Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar which the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked to the Indian state. In October last year, India recalled its High Commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.However, in June this year Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 summit at Kananaskis in Canada during which the two leaders agreed to pursue “constructive” steps to restore stability in India-Canada ties.