India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, has disputed Foreign Minister Anita Anand's assertion that New Delhi has agreed to restore Canada's full diplomatic presence. Patnaik emphasized that Canada must first address delays in accrediting Indian diplomatic staff before any agreement can be reached. "It's a reciprocal trust," he stated in an interview last Thursday. "Trust has to be built up on both sides."

These remarks come amid ongoing efforts by the Canadian government to reset relations with India. This follows serious allegations made by Ottawa two years ago, accusing New Delhi of involvement in the assassination of a Sikh activist near Vancouver. Additionally, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has accused the Indian government of participating in homicides and extortion in Canada.

In October 2023, Canada withdrew most of its diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to revoke diplomatic immunity for 41 Canadian officials and their dependents. At that time, Canada had not only diplomats but also experts in various fields, including defense and agriculture, stationed in India.

During a recent visit to India, Anand announced that New Delhi would permit the return of Canada's full diplomatic staff. However, this commitment was not included in the joint statement released by both countries. Anand also indicated that Canada would not resume trade discussions until India took steps to restore its diplomatic presence. "We both agreed that we would staff up as we had been before, in order to service our respective populations," she said on October 14.

Patnaik countered that India has not agreed to allow Canada to fully restaff its embassy. "We have agreed to a certain movement forward, in starting to get the number of people necessary for diplomatic missions to function effectively," he explained in an interview on October 16. He stressed that the focus should be on the ease of operations rather than the number of diplomats.

He noted that the ability to bring experts to Canada on diplomatic passports is crucial. However, he expressed frustration over the lengthy visa process for these experts, particularly in sectors like energy and agriculture. "For some of our staff, it takes about two to three months. But after six months, we just had to cancel the staff coming here because they couldn’t get a visa," he said.

Global Affairs Canada has not disclosed the current number of Canadian diplomats in India. Patnaik linked the accreditation of Canadian diplomats to the visa challenges faced by his staff. "When you have to deal with another country, it is give-and-take. It can’t be that, 'I have the system, you have to deal with it but I need you to make your system easier for us'. It doesn’t work like that," he remarked.

In response to Patnaik's comments, Global Affairs referred to the joint statement, which did not mention the restoration of Canada's full diplomatic footprint. Instead, it stated that both countries would enhance their diplomatic missions by progressively deploying expertise in various domains, including economic, political, defense, and technology.

Anand reiterated that her understanding of the situation was based on discussions with her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. "Look, my dialogue is with Minister Jaishankar. My dialogue and points are contained in the joint statement," she said.

Furthermore, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada clarified that foreign diplomats traveling to Canada for diplomatic assignments require a specific type of visa. Those coming for non-diplomatic purposes must obtain a travel visa if their country requires one. Foreign diplomatic personnel are exempt from standard visa fees and can apply for visas online or at a consulate, either in person or through a representative.