Canada and Saudi Arabia agree to establish diplomatic relations and appoint new ambassadors. Riyadh and Ottawa took such action on Wednesday after diplomatic and commercial relations between the two countries deteriorated in 2018. Reuters news
According to a report on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made such a decision at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok in November last year.
In a joint statement, they said the decision was taken to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries based on mutual respect and common interests.
Trudeau’s former foreign policy adviser and University of Ottawa professor Roland Paris said Saudi Arabia is important in terms of regional power. It is logical to re-appoint ambassadors to maintain contact with the country. In 2018, Canada and other western countries condemned Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In the same year, officials posted on social media Twitter demanding the immediate release of women’s rights activists detained by Saudi Arabia from the Canadian embassy in Riyadh. In this incident, Riyadh imposed restrictions on new trade, including the withdrawal of the ambassador from Ottawa.