India hints at restarting Canada visas ‘very soon’

The government of India hinted that it would begin offering visa services to Canadian citizens in an effort to head off the fallout from the diplomatic dispute with Canada. Government sources said India was evaluating the security situation that compelled it to stop visa services in Canada exactly one month ago after foreign minister S Jaishankar predicted this may happen "very, very soon."
India had also suspended visa services for Canadians in third countries, as well as the e-visa facility.
The breakthrough happened despite rising tensions over India's choice to expel 41 Canadian diplomats in order to equalise diplomatic representation with Canada. While the US and the UK have supported Canada's argument that India had broken the Vienna Convention by acting unilaterally, Jaishankar claimed that the convention supported India's action.
Canada had retaliated to the expulsion by “unilaterally” shutting services in its three consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru, raising concerns about possible disruption in visa services for Indian nationals.
Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, Jaishankar said India stopped issuing visas because it was no longer safe for Indian diplomats to go to work as Canada wasn’t fulfilling its obligations under the Vienna Convention.
Canada’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has said that he would work to restore a “professional relationship” with India if his party came to office in the next elections. Describing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau as “unprofessional and incompetent”, he said he was not worth the cost as he had turned Canadians against each other at home and blown up relations abroad.
Earlier, Canada had pulled out 41 diplomats while accusing the Indian government of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by forcing it to downsize its mission here.