Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng indicated on Wednesday that Canada will not resume trade talks with India until Narendra Modi's government cooperates with the investigation into the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

During an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, a journalist asked Mary Ng a question about the possibility of resuming trade talks with India.

Ng said that Canada's focus at this stage is to allow the investigation to continue.

Ng also said that Canadian companies continue to do business in India, and her mission as Trade Minister is to ensure they receive the support and tools they need.

When asked to clarify whether there is a direct link between the need for cooperation in the investigation and the resumption of trade talks, the minister answered negatively. Ng said: "Certainly, our focus is on this investigation, and that must be the work."

To reassure those who continue to invest, attract investment, and do business, Canadian government services will continue as they expect from their government.

The Indian High Commissioner had stated to the Canadian press last September that Canada had stopped trade talks and did not provide any clear reason at that time.

It was later reported that the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security advisor traveled to India last summer where he spoke to Indian officials about evidence collected by the intelligence partners of the Five Eyes organization indicating Modi's government's involvement in Nijjar's killing.

On June 18, Nijjar was shot dead outside a Gurudwara temple in Surrey. Then on September 18, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was visiting India to attend the G20 summit, publicly spoke about the Indian government's involvement in Nijjar's killing in the House of Commons.

India threatened to revoke diplomatic privileges for some Canadian diplomats, and afterwards the Canadian government had to recall 41 of its diplomats from India.