'Will resume visa services if…': S Jaishankar says India-Canada relations going through 'difficult phase'

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that India will resume visa services in Canada if Indian diplomats in Canada are provided safety and security as per the Vienna Convention. He said India is committed to a "strong and mutually beneficial relationship" with Canada but he added New Delhi will not tolerate any interference in its internal affairs.

"Because ensuring the 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 very much like to resume the issue of visas. My hope would be that it would be something which should happen very soon," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

Jaishankar went on to say that India-Canada relations were going through a "difficult phase". "The relationship is currently going through a difficult period. But I do want to say that the problems we have are with a certain segment of Canadian politics and the policies that flow from that," Jaishankar said. 

His statement comes days after Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India, leaving only the Canadian High Commission in Delhi to offer visa and consular services.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is a treaty that sets out the diplomatic rights and obligations of states. It includes provisions for the safety and security of diplomatic personnel.

Jaishankar also expressed concerns over interference in India's affairs by Canadian personnel. He has said that this is one of the reasons why India reduced the number of Canadian diplomats in India. "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.

India asked Canada in September to reduce its diplomatic staff in the country. Citing a significant imbalance in the number of diplomats, India pointed out that Canadian diplomats housed in Delhi considerably outnumber Indian diplomats in Ottawa, calling for equilibrium.

This came after controversial claims from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concerning the murder of Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau suggested a "potential link" between the Indian government and Nijjar's assassination, sparking off an intense backlash from India.

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