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MH17 crash clouds over G20 summit

G20 chair Australia has sought to keep the meeting focused on economic growth, but Thursday’s disaster in rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine put the spotlight on Russia and its possible links to the separatists.

Trade ministers from the world’s leading economies met in Sydney Saturday for the latest round of G20 talks, with the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 threatening to overshadow the summit.

G20 chair Australia has sought to keep the meeting focused on economic growth, but Thursday’s disaster in rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine put the spotlight on Russia and its possible links to the separatists.

Australia’s Trade Minister Andrew Robb said he met his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov late Friday to press him on whether his country “would or could stop the separatists with their current activities”.

“Australia is looking for an unequivocal Russian assurance that they will fully cooperate with an independent and thorough UN investigation and urgently,” Robb told broadcaster Sky News Saturday. “The Russian trade minister did convey their deep condolences and indicate the government would cooperate with ... (a) UN investigation. “They did not give me an assurance that Russia would or could stop the separatists with their current activities.”

Robb said Canberra may consider trade sanctions against Russia as a result of the crash, which killed 298 people, including 28 Australians, subject to how it “responds, cooperates and is proactive in seeking answers”.

Australia, along with several other countries, already has imposed sanctions and travel bans on some Russians and Ukrainians.

Senior ministers have refused on comment on whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin would be invited to the G20 leaders’ summit in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital, in November.

But Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said Putin might not be welcomed in his state if the Russian government did not cooperate with an independent investigation into the plane crash.

“If we start seeing them failing to cooperate — we’ve heard that they’re not providing access at this time — if that continues, I think I can speak for all Queenslanders and say at that point he’s probably not welcome,” Newman said.

The talk of trade sanctions came as Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey said his nation would continue to keep growth as the main focus of the G20 agenda. “I think there’s a steely determination right across the board to find out who is responsible for what’s happened, but also not to allow it to distract everyone from all the tasks at hand of building a stronger global economy — and importantly — creating jobs for people,” he told Sky News.