Oil shipments to Canada will not be affected by feud over jailed activists, Saudi minister says

#Riyadh; #SaudioilsuppliestoCanada; #Khalidal-Falih; #Adelal-Jubeir

Riyadh/Ottawa. Aug 9 (Canadian-Media): Saudi oil supplies to Canada will not be impacted due to the diputer over human rights, said Khalid al-Falih, Saudi's energy minister on Thursday, media reports said.

The dispute had been a threat to Riyadh's  campaign of foreign investment drive and initiatives by the top oil exporter.

​But Saudi Arabia's reassurance that it has a "firm and long-standing policy" and that petroleum supplies are not influenced by political considerations, Khalid al-Falih,  said in a statement.

"The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramco's relations with its customers in Canada."

Khalid al-Falih/Facebook

Riyadh, capital of South Arabia -- infuriated by Canada's plea to immediately release the jailed activists -- had frozen new trade with Canada and ruled out mediation, had expelled the Canadian ambassador on Sunday, and blocked imports of Canadian grain.

Canada and Saudi Arabia's bilateral trade is worth more than $3.9 billion a year and Canadian exports to Saudi Arabia were about $1.46 billion in 2017, or 0.2 percent of the total value of Canadian exports.

Riyadh, In addition to the trade freeze,  has stopped sending patients to Canadian hospitals and had suspended educational exchanges by moving Saudi Arabia's scholars to other countries.

Foreign Affairs Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday ruled out any mediation efforts and called on Ottawa to fix its big mistake, and added more measures would be taken by the kingdom against Canada for interfering in Saudi Arabia's domestic affairs, but he, however, did not give more details.

Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada said he would keep pressing Saudi Arabia on civil liberties and added,

"Diplomatic talks continue ... we don't want to have poor relations with Saudi Arabia. It is a country that has great significance in the world, that is making progress in the area of human rights," Trudeau said.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)