Ottawa/Riyadh: Canada and Saudi Arabia have agreed to restore their diplomatic ties and appoint ambassadors, ending the fallout from a 2018 row, Global Affairs said.
“It has been decided to restore the level of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia to its previous level,” the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The decision follows a meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok in November 2022, the ministry noted.
Canada appointed Jean-Philippe Linteau as its new ambassador to Riyadh, the statement said.
The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that diplomatic relations with Canada have been restored.
“In the light of what has been discussed between His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and The Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada on the sidelines of the summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in Bangkok on November 18th 2022, and the desire of both sides to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect, and common interest; it has been decided to restore the level of diplomatic relations with Canada to its previous state,” the ministry said in a statement on Twitter.
In August 2018, Saudi Arabia downgraded diplomatic ties with Canada after the latter urged Riyadh to “immediately release” jailed women’s rights activists.
In response to the “interference” in its domestic affairs, the kingdom expelled the Canadian ambassador, terminated its state airline’s direct flights to Toronto, halted imports of Canadian wheat and barley, froze new trade and investment relations with Ottawa, and obliged Saudi students to relocate to other countries.
UNI/SPUTNIK
