Saudi Arabia, Canada establish coordination council to guide next phase of bilateral relations

JEDDAH — Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witnessed the signing of three memorandums of understanding following official talks at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Thursday.The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations, explored opportunities to expand cooperation across various sectors, and discussed regional and international developments and the ongoing efforts to address them.The first memorandum of understanding was signed between Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy and Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector. It was exchanged by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.The second memorandum established the Saudi-Canadian Coordination Council, which will serve as the main platform for implementing the two countries' Joint Action Document and provide a roadmap for the next phase of bilateral relations. The agreement was exchanged by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.The third memorandum of understanding was signed between Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Canada's Ministry of Industry to promote investment in artificial intelligence and skills development. It was exchanged by Saudi Data and AI Authority President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.Earlier, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Carney at Al-Salam Palace, where an official reception ceremony was held before the two leaders held formal talks.At the start of the meeting, the Crown Prince welcomed the Canadian prime minister to the Kingdom, while Carney expressed his pleasure at visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting the Crown Prince.