Saudi Arabia, Canada Agree To Restore Diplomatic Ties
Saudi Arabia and Canada agreed to restore full diplomatic relations on Wednesday, five years after a dispute around women’s rights severed ties between the two countries.
In statements issued on Wednesday, each country’s foreign ministry explained that the decision to restore ties was made following discussions between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Bangkok last November.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry statement described a “desire for both sides to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and common interests.” The statement also mentioned the appointment of a new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Jean-Philippe Linteau.
Saudi Arabia expelled its Canadian ambassador in 2018 after the Canadian Foreign Ministry posted a tweet in Arabic calling on Saudi Arabia to “immediately release” women’s rights activists detained by the kingdom. Saudi Arabia also sold off its Canadian investments and ordered Saudis in Canada to leave the country.
One of the detained activists was Raif Badawi, whose sister-in-law, human rights activist Ensaf Haidar, is a Canadian citizen.
The rapprochement comes as part of a larger Saudi diplomatic push. In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran renewed ties after seven years of suspended diplomatic relations.
