'INDIA-CANADA RELATIONS GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT PHASE' - 'Continuous interference in our affairs reason for removal of Canadian diplomats'

Faishankar says India will resume issuance of visas if it sees progress in safety of Indian diplomats in Canada

New Delhi: India invoked the provision of parity in Canada’s diplomatic presence in the country in view of concerns over interference in New Delhi’s affairs by Canadian personnel, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday.

The external affairs minister also said that India is likely to resume issuance of visas to Canadians if it sees progress in the safety of Indian diplomats in Canada.

He asserted that New Delhi’s decision on ensuring parity in diplomatic presence with that country is in line with the Vienna Convention.

In comments that came days after Ottawa pulled out 41 of its diplomats from India, Jaishankar said New Delhi insisted on having diplomatic parity as it had concerns about the “continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel”.

“We have not made much of that public. My sense is that 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 said, replying to a question on the India-Canada ties at an interactive session.

India has already rejected Canada’s contention that the move for the withdrawal of the 41 Canadian diplomats amounted to a violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.