Canada and Saudi Arabia have agreed to restore diplomatic relations after five years. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) released a statement Wednesday, saying both countries have named new ambassadors.
The decision was made after Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman met during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.
The statement said the two countries desired to restore diplomatic relations "on the basis of mutual respect and common interests."
Jean-Philippe Linteau was named the new Canadian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi Arabian government is yet to announce its ambassador to Canada.
The Badawi Controversy
In 2018, Saudi Arabia ordered the Canadian ambassador at the time, Dennis Horak, to leave the country after Ottawa criticized the country's human rights record after the GAC raised concerns about the arrests of prominent women's rights activists, including the Badawi sisters Samar and Raif.
Raif was a dissident blogger who fled the country for Canada alongside her husband and children in 2015.
Call to Seize Momentum
While Horak commended the return of diplomatic relationships between Ottawa and Riyadh, he advised the Canadian government to seize on the momentum to build closer ties with Saudi Arabia since it was a key ally with an "increasingly prominent role" in intervening with countries in the Arab world.
"Re-establishing ambassadorial relations is a good first step, but it needs to be accompanied by a sustained engagement at senior levels," he said.
