S Jaishankar: The government has requested diplomatic parity with Canada, according to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, on Sunday, citing “concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel.”
Parity invoked under the Vienna Convention due to concerns of Canadian interference
“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. Regarding Canadian diplomatic meddling in Indian matters, Jaishankar stated that a substantial amount of information remains undisclosed at this time.
Prospects of improved relations between India and Canada
“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,” Jaishankar added. Speaking more about the strained relations between Canada and India, Jaishankar expressed his optimism that things will get better and that Indian diplomats will be able to carry out their fundamental responsibilities with assurance.
Jaishankar’s Views on Diplomatic Parity and Safety Concerns
Jaishankar Said “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.” Furthermore, he stated that whenever India and Canada’s diplomatic relations advance, the process of issuing visas will once again begin. India criticised Canada’s comments earlier on Friday after Ottawa withdrew 41 ambassadors. “New Delhi rejects any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
India’s Justification for Diplomatic Parity
The Ministry of External Affairs said, “The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.” After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated there was “credible evidence” of a possible connection between Indian agents and the June murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, India requested in September of this year that Canada scale back its diplomatic presence.
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