Saudi Arabia - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (21.11.18)

Q : When the minister stated that the matter has not yet been settled with respect to the Khashoggi affair, what are you expecting Saudi Arabia to do in concrete terms, given that the Saudi public prosecutor already announced that he is seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects charged in the investigation?

A : As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian indicated, we are calling for responsibilities to be clearly identified and for the perpetrators to be held accountable within the context of a genuine trial.

Q : What is France’s response to President Trump’s position on the Khashoggi affair: Is the crown prince involved in the murder or not? Is President Trump not willing to sacrifice the alliance with Riyadh? Have the French intelligence services listened to the recordings provided by Mr. Erdogan?

A : We have taken note of the American statements. The minister has repeatedly reaffirmed our position and reiterated that we are consulting with our European partners on appropriate measures against the individuals responsible.

We do not express our opinion about issues relating to departments which do not report to this ministry.