‘Had Concerns About Continuous Interference’: Jaishankar On Row With Canada Over Diplomatic Presence

"We invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel," he said.

File photo of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Source : PTI

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the government had taken measures to establish diplomatic parity with Canada as they had “concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel”.

"Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. But in our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel," he said.

"We haven't made much of that public. My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did," he added.

#WATCH | On Canadian diplomatic presence in India, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "There's this whole issue of parity that the size of how many diplomats there are of one country versus how many diplomats there are of the other country. Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna… pic.twitter.com/xJmk80GHHS

— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2023

Speaking about the reduced visa services between India and Canada, Jaishankar said the relationship between the two countries was "going through a difficult phase". However, if the Indian diplomats are provided safety in Canada, the government would like to resume the issuance of visas.

"The relationship right now is going through a difficult phase. But I do want to say the problems we have are with a certain segment of Canadian politics and the policies which flow from that. Right now the big concern which people have is on visas," ANI quoted him as saying.

He said that some weeks ago, India stopped issuing visas in Canada because it was no longer safe for our diplomats to go to work to issue visas, adding that the safety and security of the diplomats was the primary reason India had to temporarily stop the issuance of visas.

"We're tracking it very closely. My hope, my expectation is that situation would improve in the sense that our people would have greater confidence in being able to do their basic duty as diplomats. Because ensuring safety and security of diplomats is the most fundamental aspect of the Vienna Convention. And right now that is what has in many ways been challenged in Canada that our people are not safe, our diplomats are not safe. So if we see progress there, I would like very much to resume the issue of visas. My hope would be that it would be something which should happen very soon," he added.

Canada has recently recalled 41 of its diplomats from India after the Indian government said it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, escalating their dispute over the slaying of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The moves come after Canada’s allegations that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver.

India, however, dismissed the allegation and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.