Canada and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume normal diplomatic relations, repairing ties that frayed nearly five years ago in a dispute over human rights.
The decision came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of an international summit in Thailand last November, according to a statement Wednesday from Canada’s foreign ministry and a report by the kingdom’s state-run news agency.
Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic ties and new trade dealings with Canada in August 2018 after Canada called for the release of women’s rights activists. Relations were strained further when Trudeau’s government joined allies in imposing sanctions over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October of that year.
The Saudi leader, known by his initials MBS, has been settling disputes and normalizing ties with other nations recently, including Iran, Qatar and Syria.
By Stephen Wicary / Bloomberg
