MEA seeks to assuage concerns of foreign missions on note ban

Under pressure from diplomatic missions facing a cash crunch due to demonetisation, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Thursday met the Dean of Diplomatic Corp and informed him that banks are being instructed to allow diplomats to withdraw money on priority.

During the meeting with Dean Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, Jaishankar also assured him that the Ministry of External Affairs will look into the basic demand of increased limit for cash withdrawal by the embassies and take it up with the Finance Ministry, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

“Let’s see which all concerns are readily addressable,” he said. The meeting came a day after Castellanos, who as Dean represents the voice of 157 foreign missions, said many nations were contemplating reciprocal measures against Indian missions abroad after a Rs 50,000 a week withdrawal cap was fixed for embassies. He had termed the measure a “serious breach” of the Vienna Convention.

Maintaining that the “buck stops” at PM Modi’s door, he had sought his intervention to resolve the issue soon. The Russian embassy as well as several other missions had voiced their concern over the restrictions on cash withdrawal and threatened to take retaliatory action against Indian diplomats posted in their countries. Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin had gone public with protest.