Canada’s Carney defends his visit to Saudi Arabia and slams criticism from afar

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney defended his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, stating that public condemnation from afar is an ineffective strategy. During the trip, the first by a Canadian leader in 26 years, Carney met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to expand economic ties beyond the United States, citing U.S. tariffs and trade agreement threats as motivation. Carney emphasized that engagement does not equate to agreement with all of a country's actions, particularly concerning Saudi Arabia's human rights record, which has faced international scrutiny. He argued that direct engagement allows for discussions on human rights and consular cases, citing a positive outcome from a meeting with Turkey's president. The visit also saw the signing of 13 commercial agreements worth over 1 billion Canadian dollars between Canadian and Saudi companies.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking the first state visit in over 25 years to strengthen mining and energy partnerships. The visit, occurring after the NATO summit in Turkiye, aimed to diversify Canada's trade relationships. Carney met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials, resulting in 13 new agreements and memorandums of understanding worth $1 billion. These deals cover areas such as mining, clean energy, artificial intelligence, health, and defense. Specific energy agreements are being developed for liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, and carbon capture. The visit signifies an effort to mend strained relations that began under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.