Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Garneau received the two Canadians on Saturday when they arrived in Calgary, Alberta, after spending more than 1,000 days in solitary confinement.
Spavor was accused of supplying photographs of military equipment to Kovrig and sentenced in August to 11 years in jail. Kovrig had been awaiting sentencing.
Trudeau, who won a third term last Monday after a tight election race, had vowed to improve ties with China after becoming prime minister in 2015, building on his father's success in establishing diplomatic ties with China in 1970.
But even before Meng's arrest, Canada's repeated questioning of China's human rights positions had irked Beijing, and the two countries have failed to come closer.
China has always denied any link between Meng's extradition case and the detention of the two Canadians, but Garneau said that "the immediate return of the two Michaels linked" it to Meng's case in a "very direct manner".
Garneau said he had heard about the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) several weeks ago, which opened the door to the return of the two men.
Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman denied Washington had made the release of Kovrig and Spavor a condition for the resolution of the charges against Meng.
"Absolutely not. The DPA and the resolution of the charges against Ms Meng was a completely independent process, and it was proceeding as it did," Hillman told Canadian broadcaster CTV.
Garneau also said he did not think the timing of the men's return had anything to do with that of the federal election.
"I think it just worked out that way."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvY2FuYWRhLWZvcmVpZ24tbWluaXN0ZXItc2F5cy1leWVzLXdpZGUtb3Blbi13aGVuLWl0LWNvbWVzLW5vcm1hbGlzaW5nLWNoaW5hLXRpZXMtMjIwMzU1MdIBAA?oc=5
2021-09-26 21:56:41Z
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