Yesterday, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, spoke with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz, of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Prime Minister and His Majesty discussed Canada and Saudi Arabia’s bilateral relationship. They spoke about the importance of respecting human rights and freedom of speech, as well as domestic reforms in Saudi Arabia, including progress under the Vision 2030 initiative. They also discussed their commitment to generating economic growth and fighting against terrorism.

The Prime Minister expressed his deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen and underscored the need to ensure the protection of civilians. He also raised consular issues, and expressed his ongoing, serious concern about the imprisonment of human rights activist Raif Badawi.