Presence of Saudi crown prince complicates G20 for Canadian government

OTTAWA — Human-rights organizations and foreign policy experts will be watching the G20 in Argentina closely this week as the attendance of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince complicates the summit for world leaders including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Alex Neve, the secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, says it will be vital for Canada to seek alliances with other countries gathered in Buenos Aires to make it more difficult for the crown prince to dismiss global concern about the killing of a Saudi journalist.

Bessma Momani, a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, says Canada needs to send a message and sideline the crown prince during the summit.

She says Mohammed Bin Salman will be on a quest to show off he is in charge and he will likely want to be seen with every leader willing to give him time.

Canada is expected to raise the issue of the murder of writer Jamal Khashoggi during the G20.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is attending the summit, says Canada “very much” does not consider the Khashoggi case closed but she has not indicated whether Canada will have any direct meetings with Saudi Arabia at the G20.

The Canadian Press

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