Carney to join APEC photo with Putin out of respect for Chinese host
The prime minister says Canada's opposition to Russia is shown through sanctions, not by boycotting the summit photo.
MANILA · Prime Minister Mark Carney will take part in a traditional group photo with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an upcoming summit in China. Carney said his participation is a gesture of respect for the host, Chinese President Xi Jinping. He made the comments during a stop in Manila, the Philippine capital, as part of a multi-country overseas tour. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit will be held next week in Shenzhen. U.S. President Donald Trump is also expected to attend the gathering. When asked about the decision given the ongoing war in Ukraine, Carney said Canada's stance against Russia is shown through sanctions, not by skipping the diplomatic photo. He cited recent federal measures to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada for the world junior hockey championship next month. "Canada stands firmly with Ukraine, firmly with democracy, territorial integrity, rule of law, and all of those put us on the other side of Vladimir Putin's Russia," Carney said.
"Yes, I will participate in the photo out of respect for the host. We’re in Asia," Carney stated. Such "family photos" are a standard part of summit protocol. Putin can attend the APEC meeting in China because the country is not a member of the International Criminal Court, which has issued a warrant for his arrest. Last year's host, South Korea, is a member of the court.
This will be Carney's first in-person meeting with Putin since becoming prime minister. His predecessors, Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper, both appeared in similar photos with the Russian leader. Last month, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand chose not to join a group photo with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, at a G20 ministerial meeting in Atlanta. The White House has confirmed plans for a trilateral meeting between Trump, Xi and Putin on the sidelines of the summit. Asked about those talks, Carney reaffirmed Canada's support for NATO. "The security architecture for free Europe will be determined by free Europe, for Europe and NATO, not by Russia," he said. Carney's comments followed meetings on security and trade with European leaders in Ireland.
With files from The Canadian Press and CBC News