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Canada’s Carney defends his visit to Saudi Arabia and slams criticism from afar
Carney said private engagement can advance human rights talks as Canada seeks new trade and investment partners beyond the United States.
- On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney became the first Canadian leader in 26 years to visit Saudi Arabia, meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to establish the Canada-Saudi Arabia Co-ordination Council deepening defence and trade ties.
- This trip marks a strategic shift from the five-year diplomatic rift that began in 2018, when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government publicly criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record following journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder.
- Carney oversaw the signing of 13 commercial agreements worth more than 1 billion Canadian dollars involving engineering firms Hatch and AtkinsRéalis, while Saudi Investment Minister Fahad Al-Saif called Canada "a trusted long-term partner."
- Defending his approach, Carney argued that "lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy," as Canada prepares to re-establish a defence attaché in Riyadh and sign an investment protection agreement by 2027.
- Seeking to reduce reliance on the United States, Carney noted that private dialogue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously allowed him to raise human rights concerns more effectively than public condemnation.
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Carney's trip to Saudi Arabia raises questions, but the Prime Minister's "hypocrisy" is not part of it, one analyst says.
·Montreal, Canada
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Carney Defends Saudi Arabia Visit, Says Public Criticism of Countries Is 'An Ineffective Strategy'
Carney's first visit to Saudi Arabia comes as Canada seeks to reduce its economic dependence on the US, signing commercial agreements worth more than C$1 billion amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump's trade policies.
·New Delhi, India
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources18
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Left
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Left
46% Left
L 46%
C 39%
15%
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