OTTAWA - As he seeks new economic partnerships around the world, Prime Minister Mark Carney says publicly calling out other countries on issues like human rights is not helpful.
“I do see that lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy,” Carney said in a press conference with reporters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Thursday. “It’s satisfying, but it’s ineffective.”
Carney is the first prime minister in 26 years to visit Saudi Arabia, during which he met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman.
Together, the countries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the Canada-Saudi Arabia Coordination Council, which aims to strengthen co-operations on sectors like defence and trade.
Speaking to reporters, Carney insisted that “engagement is not endorsement.”
He also spoke about the importance of engaging with Saudia Arabia and Türkiye, which he visited earlier this week, calling them “two of the most influential countries” when it comes to economic and strategic diversification.
While Carney says Canada “deeply” cares about human rights and Canadian consulate cases, he also said he cares about “self-determination of nations.”
Carney did, however, say that he raised a Canadian consular case with Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this week during the NATO leaders’ summit, but did not provide specifics.
When asked in French if he spoke with the Crown Prince about human rights, Carney called it a private discussion.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who is also on the trip, said she “always raises human rights” issues in her meetings. On Thursday, Anand met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Saudi Arabia has long faced criticism from international organizations over its human rights record.
In 2018, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States concluded that bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul that year.
Relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia also deteriorated sharply in 2018 after then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland called on Saudi Arabia through social media posts to immediately release jailed human rights activists, including Samar Badawi, who had campaigned against the kingdom’s former male guardianship system.
Saudi Arabia condemned Freeland’s comments as interference in its domestic affairs, expelled Canada’s ambassador and threatened to divest assets held in Canada.
Badawi was released from prison in 2021. The two countries began restoring diplomatic relations in 2023, and Carney’s visit is being viewed as the culmination of years of efforts to rebuild ties.
Canada and Saudi Arabia conduct about $4 billion in bilateral trade annually.
With files from CTV News’ Ottawa Bureau Chief Graham Richardson
