Diplomats struggle for agreement at G20 summit

Diplomats from the G20 countries were yesterday haggling hard over a final summit statement, with deep divisions over what language to use on the Paris climate accord and the World Trade Organisation, according to European officials.

Facing the prospect of a nostatement summit, European delegations are trying to create a common front and may come out with their own separate declaration if they cannot get the US or others on board.

European leaders were meeting at the summit venue in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires to stake out common positions on trade, climate and the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

France is seeking to build coalitions on certain issues or “ad hoc partnerships” to try to salvage the spirit of the G20 even if all countries cannot agree, according to a French official.

The G20 was supposed to focus on issues such as development, infrastructure and investment, but as the gathering officially kicked off, those themes seem like afterthoughts, overshadowed by contentious matters from the US-China trade dispute to the conflict over Ukraine.

European Council president Donald Tusk urged G20 leaders to discuss “trade wars, the tragic situation in Syria and Yemen and Russian aggression in Ukraine”.

He said the European Union is expected to extend sanctions on Moscow over its “totally unacceptable” seizure of Ukrainian ships and their crews near Crimea.

“Europe is united in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mr Tusk said, calling the standoff “a cause of great concern”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday morning, is among the leaders involved.

Russia and Ukraine have traded blame over the ship incident. Also expected to loom large amid dozens of bilateral meetings in Buenos Aires is the gruesome killing of Mr Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate and how the Saudi crown prince, who is alleged to have ordered the killing, is received by world leaders.

Saudi Arabia has denied that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a role, but some leaders may be cool towards him to avoid seeming to legitimise a man who US intelligence agencies concluded ordered the killing.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has made clear it does not want to torpedo the longstanding US relationship with Riyadh, however. It is the prince’s first significant appearance over-

‘Europe is united in its support for Ukraine’s integrity’

seas since the killing.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been sharply critical of Saudi Arabia over the incident, is also in attendance.

Leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico met in the morning to sign a trade deal replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement that was struck following months of tough negotiations that analysts say left a bitter taste among the partners.

Mr Trump called the pact known as the USMCA a “model agreement that changes the trade landscape forever”. It must still be ratified by politicians in all three countries, and passage in the US could face a tough road in the House of Representatives after Democrats won a majority in November midterm elections.

Donald Tusk, EC president