Khashoggi’s shadow looms over Macron’s talks with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday and became the first major Western leader to visit the country since the assassination of Washington Post journalist and columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Macron will meet with the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as part of his tour of the Gulf. The two will discuss regional issues, including the crisis in Lebanon and the stalled nuclear talks with Iran.

Khashoggi’s assassination sparked international outrage that continues to resonate. But Macron said it was impossible to interact with the region while ignoring the powerful Saudis.

“Who can think for a second that we can help Lebanon and preserve peace and stability in the Middle East if we say: ‘We are not going to talk to Saudi Arabia, the most populous and most powerful country in the Gulf’?” he told reporters in Dubai, the first stop on his tour.

“It does not mean that he approves anything, that I have forgotten, that we are not demanding partners,” he said, adding that he was acting “for our country and for the interests of the region.”

On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to present the paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to US and Turkish officials, a waiting Saudi assault squad strangled him and dismembered his body, which has never been recovered.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Khashoggi’s fiancee Hatice Cengiz called on Washington to take action against the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and expressed her hope that world powers will change the way they deal with Riyadh.

( Jowharwith AFP)