Saudi prince, Putin grin as oil deal reports emerge KEY MOMENTS AT THE G20
Buenos Aires, Dec. 1: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman showed himself to be no pariah on Friday at the
G20 summit, with a beaming Vladimir Putin welcoming him but European leaders warning him over the killing of a dissident journalist.
He flew into Buenos Aires to take his place among leaders of the top
20 global economies, a sign that he intends to remain firmly in charge.
In an image that quickly went viral online, Russian President Putin and the
33-year-old prince grinned broadly and gave each other an effusive handshake as if they were longlost friends reunited at the G20. Their embrace comes amid reports that Russia and Saudi Arabia have reached a pact to cut oil production when the OPEC cartel meets on December 6 in Vienna, to help shore up falling crude prices.
The prince appeared to receive a more critical reception from French President Emmanuel Macron, who was overheard voicing concerns.
“Don’t worry,” Prince Mohammed is heard saying in English to the French leader, who responds, “I do worry. I am worried.” The clip was partially inaudible and the context of the exchange was not entirely clear. But it received wide traction on social media, with Macron telling the prince, “You never listen to me,” to which the prince replies, “I will listen, of course.” — AFP THE HANDSHAKE
All eyes were on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and how leaders would greet him. He mingled easily and got a resounding handshake from Vladimir Putin. PUTIN STYLE DIPLOMACY
■ During a meeting with Macron, Putin drew a map of Kerch Strait off Crimea to buttress his position that Ukrainian ships intruded into Russian waters — a claim denied by Kiev. WHAT'S IN A NAME?
■ The US, Canada and Mexico signed a new agreement, though it could not agree what to call it.