[1/2] Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Arab League Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia May 19, 2023. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy Saudi Royal Court/Handout
OTTAWA, May 24 (Portal) – Canada and Saudi Arabia have agreed to restore full diplomatic ties and appoint new ambassadors, both countries said on Wednesday, ending a 2018 row over ties and trade harmed.
The decision follows talks between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) summit in Bangkok last November, according to statements from Canada and Saudi Arabia.
The decision stems from “the desire on both sides to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and common interests,” the statements said.
The 2018 dispute stemmed from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi that same year, which Canada and all Western countries condemned. It began when the Canadian embassy in Riyadh released a tweet in Arabic calling for the immediate release of women’s rights activists being held by Saudi Arabia.
This prompted Riyadh to recall its ambassador, ban the envoy from returning, and impose a ban on new trade.
“Trade penalties will be lifted,” said a Canadian government source familiar with the deal, but not authorized to comment publicly. It is unclear what effect the dispute had on trade.
According to official data, Saudi Arabia was the largest export market for Canada in the region in 2021, with a total value of CA$2.2 billion (US$1.65 billion). Imports totaled $2.4 billion. Almost all Canadian imports were oil and petrochemicals. More than 80% of the exports to Saudi Arabia were transportation equipment.
“Ultimately, empty chairs don’t advance our interests, and they don’t advance things like human rights,” the source added.
Normalization comes as the Saudi prince, known as MbS, seeks to re-establish Saudi Arabia as a regional power by capitalizing on his place at the helm of an energy giant in an oil-dependent world being devastated by the war in Ukraine .
“Saudi Arabia plays a central role in its region. It’s a key player,” said Roland Paris, Trudeau’s former foreign policy adviser and professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa. “It only makes sense to have ambassadors again to keep the communication channels open.”
Canada will appoint Jean-Philippe Linteau as its new ambassador to Riyadh.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said: “We need to have conversations with people with whom we don’t always agree on everything to find global solutions to global problems,” the source added.
($1 = 1.3372 Canadian dollars)
Reporting by Steve Scherer; Edited by Kirsten Donovan
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