AMN / NEW DELHI
External Affairs Ministry today said that the state of India’s bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in the country’s internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa. Ministry said in a statement that New Delhi has been engaged with the Canadian side on this matter over the last month in order to work out the details and modalities of its implementation. It said India’s actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Ministry quoted that “In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.”
India has rejected any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms.