Saudi Embassy and Logistical Reasons

country: The Saudi embassy blamed logistical reasons for its last-minute change of plans when contacted Monday and a spokesperson said the country decision was not motivated by fear of protesters, according to Globe and Mail. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion office had already said he would not be attending the Saudi Cultural Days in Canada. The May 18-21 festival appeared to be a Saudi charm offensive aimed at federal policy makers as the Trudeau government fields questions about its decision to grant export permits for the armoured vehicles to a country that U.S. watchdog Freedom House regularly ranks among the worst of the worst on human rights. Peggy Mason, an opponent of the Saudi arms deal, who served as Canada UN ambassador for disarmament from 1984 to 1994, said the now-delayed festival had struck her as an odd move in the midst of a national debate over a weapons sale and given the eroding human-rights situation within Saudi Arabia. Mason, president of the Rideau Institute, an advocacy and research group. The timing seemed very bizarre, so perhaps this postponement indicates they, too, have come to realize this might be problematic, said Ms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.