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Trudeau avoids confrontation with Saudi crown prince, Putin during G20 summit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a bilateral meeting this morning with French President Emmanuel Macron
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not plan to directly confront one of the most controversial leaders at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed.

Trudeau held a bilateral meeting this morning with French President Emmanuel Macron, and is also set to sit down with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Both leaders have spoken directly to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince at the summit of world leaders.

All eyes have been on the Saudi crown prince during the trip, which marks his first major overseas appearance since the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October.

On Friday, May’s office said the prime minister stressed to Salman the importance of ensuring those responsible for the “appalling murder” of Khashoggi are held to account.

Macron also came face-to-face with the Saudi crown prince, and an official said the tense exchange captured on video shows the president’s firm stance.

On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Canada was imposing sanctions on 17 Saudi Arabian nationals the government deems linked to Khashoggi’s killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The Canadian Press

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