The leaders from the world’s 20 biggest economies converge on Buenos Aires on Friday as a bitter trade war and the killing of a Saudi journalist, cast a shadow over the G20 summit.

Iran Press/America: Nineteen leaders of the world's biggest economies and a representative of the European Union are set to meet on Friday and Saturday in Buenos Aries, Argentina as part of the Group of 20 summit. 

A forum intended to be a powerhouse of global governance has become a stage for an increasing number of disputes between G20 members. 

G20 member nations were still struggling to reach an agreement on major issues including trade, migration and climate change.

Over the two days of the summit, there will be group sessions on financial architecture, sustainable agriculture and the future of work, but this year the big news is likely to be dominated by a set of bilateral duels with unpredictable outcomes.

This year, all eyes will be on a range of issues, including a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Only days before the summit in Argentina, President Trump said current tariff levels on $200bn (£157bn) of Chinese imports would rise as planned.

He also threatened tariffs on $267bn of other Chinese exports to the US.

The relationship between the US and China has deteriorated in recent months, as the US tariff rate on $200 billion in Chinese goods is set to increase to 25 percent from 10 percent on Jan. 1.

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While the general idea is to talk about Trump's trade war, a lot of the conversations in Buenos Aires will be about the killing of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's appearance at the summit is expected to cause some protests over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Mohammed bin Salman’s presence at the meeting, will put a spotlight on the de facto head of Saudi Arabia, less than two months after his henchmen killed and dismembered journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has formally requested Argentine judicial authorities to use a domestic constitutional clause to arrest and prosecute Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for war crimes in Yemen and the murder of dissident journalist.

Argentine prosecutors are considering charging Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman with war crimes and torture if he flies to Buenos Aires for the G20 summit this week.

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While UK involvement with the brutal bombing of Yemen in favour of the deeply repressive Saudi dictatorship, sparked widespread criticism, British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to raise the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the situation in Yemen with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit in Argentina.

Meanwhile, a scheduled session with Putin was cancelled by Trump on his way to the summit, saying his decision had been based on Russia’s failure to return Ukrainian sailors and ships its forces had seized in the Sea of Azov on Sunday. The meeting was to have been an important gauge of the relationship between the two men, at a time when the investigation into his campaign’s links with the Kremlin is edging closer to him personally.

The Kremlin regrets US President Donald Trump's decision to cancel a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Argentina and said Moscow is ready for contact with Trump, RIA Novosty news agency cited spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday.  101

 

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