The U.S. and U.K. governments are calling on the Indian government to rescind its push to reduce the presence of Canadian diplomats in its country and 鈥渦phold鈥� its obligations under international law.
The Canadian government announced on Thursday that it pulled 41 of its 62 diplomats from India after New Delhi made a request for diplomatic parity in the two countries by Oct. 10.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in their 鈥渦nreasonable鈥� request for diplomatic parity, India would only allow 21 Canadian diplomats and their families to maintain their diplomatic status in that country, leaving others stripped of diplomatic immunity and vulnerable to reprisal or arrest.
Officials from the United States and U.K. expressed their concerns with the recent development on Friday.
鈥淲e are concerned by the departure of Canadian diplomats from India, in response to the Indian government鈥檚 demand of Canada to significantly reduce its diplomatic presence in India,鈥� U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement issued Friday.
鈥淩esolving differences requires diplomats on the ground. We have urged the Indian government not to insist upon a reduction in Canada鈥檚 diplomatic presence and to co-operate in the ongoing Canadian investigation.鈥�
Miller added that the United States expects India to 鈥渦phold its obligations鈥� under the , 鈥渋ncluding with respect to privileges and immunities enjoyed by accredited members of Canada鈥檚 diplomatic mission.鈥�
The U.K.鈥檚 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) shared similar concerns, saying it 鈥渄oes not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government鈥� that have resulted in a number of Canadian diplomats departing India.
鈥淲e expect all states to uphold their obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,鈥� an FCDO spokesperson said in a statement released Friday.
鈥淭he unilateral removal of the privileges and immunities that provide for the safety and security of diplomats is not consistent with the principles or the effective functioning of the Vienna Convention.鈥�
Joly has also accused India of acting "contrary to international law" and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed those comments.
鈥淭his is them choosing to contravene a very fundamental principle of international law and diplomacy," Trudeau said Friday in Brampton, Ont.
鈥淚t is something that all countries in the world should be very worried about."
On the other hand, the Indian government rejected that it had violated international law in asking Canada to withdraw its diplomats so that both governments have roughly the same number working in each country.
"We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms," India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday.
The comments come in the wake of a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada, which crystalized last month when Trudeau accused the Indian government of having a role in the June killing of prominent Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C.
Trudeau said at the time that intelligence agencies were investigating 鈥渃redible allegations鈥� about Nijjar鈥檚 murder on Canadian soil, which India has adamantly denied.
Federal law enforcement agencies in Canada are 鈥渨orking actively鈥� to investigate the murder and officials have made calls for India to co-operate, Joly and Trudeau have said.
David Cohen, the United States ambassador to Canada, previously told 麻豆影视 that there was 鈥渟hared intelligence among Five Eye partners鈥� that informed Trudeau鈥檚 public allegation of the Indian government鈥檚 role in the Sikh separatist leader鈥檚 death.
Cohen added that there was 鈥渁 lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this,鈥� without getting into specifics.
- With files from 麻豆影视 Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
