Fractious G20 summit opens in Argentina's Buenos Aires
The leaders of the world's largest economies opened talks on Friday overshadowed by U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to escalate tariffs on imports from China as well as military tensions between Russia and Ukraine. This year's two-day gathering is a major test for the Group of 20 industrialized nations, whose leaders first met in 2008 to help rescue the global economy from the worst financial crisis in seven decades.
- World
- AFP
- Published Date: 12:00 | 30 November 2018
- Modified Date: 09:17 | 30 November 2018
G20 leaders including the presidents of the United States, Russia and China opened summit talks on Friday stalked by the deepest divisions in the group's 10-year history.
Argentine President Mauricio Macri convened the two-day summit in Buenos Aires, which was attended also by Saudi Arabia's beleaguered crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
As the leaders sat down for the summit plenary, Russian President Vladimir Putin and bin Salman -- both arriving at the meeting under a cloud -- greeted each other with an enthusiastic, thumping handshake that resembled a high-five, and hearty laughter.
Several leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May said they would raise the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during talks with the crown prince on the sidelines of the summit.
Putin arrived in Argentina earlier Friday denouncing the "vicious" use of sanctions and trade protectionism in a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump.
Trump on Thursday cancelled a planned bilateral with Putin over Russia's naval skirmish with Ukraine in waters near Moscow-annexed Crimea.