(Ottawa) India defends its diplomatic actions a day after Ottawa announced it had withdrawn most of its envoys from the country over what it called a precedent-setting diplomatic threat.
India’s foreign ministry says its decision to reduce the number of Canadian diplomats in India, which it says is higher than India’s number in Canada, was in line with diplomatic conventions.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced Thursday that Canada had withdrawn most of its diplomatic presence in India after New Delhi threatened to strip these people and their families of diplomatic immunity.
She said a unilateral revocation of special protections and rights is contrary to international law, calling it a precedent-setting threat.
Relations with New Delhi have been deeply strained since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a month ago that Canadian intelligence services were investigating “a potential link” between the Indian government and the assassination of a Sikh leader in Colombia -British.
India’s statement cites a passage from an international convention on diplomatic relations which states that in the absence of an agreement, a host country may require that a diplomatic mission be kept within reasonable and normal limits.
“We reject any attempt to present the implementation of parity as a violation of international standards,” the statement said.
Canada ordered 41 diplomats to leave, along with their 42 dependents, leaving 21 diplomats in India.
Officials warned the move would slow the processing of immigration applications, and Canada issued a travel advisory for parts of India where it says it has been forced to reduce consular staff.