Riyadh, May 25 : Saudi Arabia and Canada have agreed to restore diplomatic relations and appoint ambassadors, the Saudi foreign ministry announced. The Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement that the decision was made based on the two sides' wishes to restore ties on the basis of mutual respect and common interests, Xinhua news agency reported. "Canada has appointed a new ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jean-Philippe Linteau," the Canadian Foreign Ministry said in a statement while announcing the decision. The move follows discussions between Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the APEC summit in the Thai capital of Bangkok in November 2022, the Ministry added. Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Canada in 2018 after a dispute over Canada's demand for Saudi Arabia to release detained activists. /IANS