India’s action to limit the size of the Canadian High Commission to bring parity with the Indian High Commission in Ottawa was warranted by the state of India-Canada bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in India’s internal affairs, government sources told CNN-News18.
“Our action is as per provisions of Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) which provides the receiving state the right to limit the size of a diplomatic mission to what it considers reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular Mission. Article 11.1 has been used in the past by other countries on many occasions,” said an official. “We had conveyed to Canada that in order to limit the size of the Missions in New Delhi and Ottawa, only a specific number of diplomats as per parity would continue to enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities.”
The sources said Canada’s domestic legislation itself provides for comparable treatment of foreign diplomats in Canada to what its own diplomats get in a foreign country, as well as withdrawal of any of their diplomatic privileges and immunities [Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act 1991 Para 4(1) https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/f-29.4/index.html].
India’s decision to seek parity was conveyed to Canada around one month ago, with a target implementation date of October 10, 2023, they added. This date was extended till October 20 as details and modalities of implementation, including the list of Canadian diplomats who would continue to be accorded diplomatic immunities and privileges were being worked out in consultation with the Canadian side, said the sources. According to them, attempts by Canada to portray this as an “arbitrary” and “overnight” decision were factually inaccurate.
“Parity has been sought in the diplomatic representations of our missions in Ottawa and New Delhi. There is no impact on Canadian diplomatic strength in their consulates in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chandigarh,” an official said. “The Canadian decision to cease operations of their three consulates in India is unilateral, and not related to the implementation of parity.”