Toronto. India on Wednesday said it will resume some categories of visa services in Canada from Thursday. The move comes more than a month after visa services were suspended amid a diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist. In a press release posted on its social media account, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said, “The decision has been taken after reviewing the security situation taking into account some recent steps taken by Canada in this regard, entry visas, business visas, medical visas and conference visas. To resume visa services for categories.
The decision is being seen as a step that can ease tensions between the two countries. The Indian High Commission in Ottawa and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were forced to temporarily suspend visa services for security reasons, the release said. “The High Commission and the Consulate General will continue to take measures in response to emergency situations, as is currently done,” the release said, adding that further decisions would be made based on a continuous assessment of the situation. will be informed.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar gave hints, but said security of diplomats was important.
The move comes a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India would consider resuming visa services for Canadians “very soon” if it sees progress in the security of its diplomats in Canada. Jaishankar had said a few weeks ago that the main reasons behind India’s temporary suspension of visa services were concerns over the safety of its diplomats in Canada and Ottawa’s inability to provide a safe environment for Indian officials in major violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Challenges the fundamental aspect.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s accusations fueled tensions
Jaishankar’s comments came days after Canada recalled 41 of its diplomats from India. Tensions between India and Canada escalated last month following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of the “possible” involvement of an Indian agent in the June 18 killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia province. India declared Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”. A few days later, India announced a temporary suspension of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.
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Tags: Canada, Canada News, India, Social media, Visa
First published: October 26, 2023, 05:11 IST