India has decided to resume certain visa services in Canada almost a month after they were suspended due to security concerns. The High Commission of India in Ottawa has announced the resumption of visa services for specific categories, including Entry Visa, Business Visa, Medical Visa, and Conference Visa, starting from October 26.
The suspension of visa processing in Canada was initiated last month amid an escalating diplomatic dispute between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had alleged the potential involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, cited concerns related to incitement of violence, inaction by the Canadian government, and the creation of a disruptive environment at Indian missions as the reasons behind the temporary suspension of visa services.
While India has rejected the allegations made by the Canadian Prime Minister, describing them as “absurd” and “motivated,” the bilateral relationship between the two nations has experienced strain in recent times. As a response to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case, India also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.
The High Commission of India’s decision to resume certain visa services represents a step toward normalizing diplomatic relations and enhancing cooperation between the two countries, reported News18.
Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India-Canada relations are “going through a difficult phase”.
“Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. In our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel,” Jaishankar said.
India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, has highlighted concerns about interference by Canadian personnel in India’s internal affairs and expressed disapproval of certain segments of Canadian politics.
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