OTTAWA -- Canada has obtained an agreement to allow greater family and consular access for Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, the two Canadians detained for more than two years in China.

A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says the agreement was reached "over the past months."

Syrine Khoury did not elaborate.

The government has pushed for increased consular access to the two Michaels but this is the first time it has mentioned access for the men's families.

The two were arbitrarily detained in December 2018 in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition request from the United States.

Khoury confirmed that Canada granted travel exemptions late last year to Meng's husband and two children to visit her in Vancouver, where she awaits an extradition hearing.