Riyadh: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Riyadh over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The crown prince told the visitor during the meeting: “We are strong and old allies. We face our challenges together - the past, the day of, tomorrow.” Pompeo will hold talks in Turkey on Wednesday, according to the Turkish foreign ministry.
Earlier Tuesday, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz received Pompeo, who thanked King Salman for his commitment to a thorough, transparent investigation of the Khashoggi disappearance, according to the US State Department.
“During the meeting, historical relationships between the two countries were reviewed, and current situations in the region and joint efforts being exerted towards them were discussed,” a statement on Saudi Press Agency said.
On Monday, King Salman ordered an internal probe into the unexplained disappearance. “The King has ordered the Public Prosecutor to open an internal investigation into the Khashoggi matter based on the information from the joint team in Istanbul,” a Saudi official said, adding that the prosecutor “was instructed to work quickly”. The probe could hold people accountable if evidence warrants it.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also said Turkish authorities would search the Saudi consul’s residence in Istanbul and vehicles belonging to the consulate. He offered no timeframe for those searches. Overnight, forensic teams searched the consulate building in Istanbul.
Libya’s parliament issued a statement expressing “solidarity with Saudi Arabia in facing the recent campaign to undermine its stature.”
The lawmakers stressed the need to wait for the results of the investigations and avoid rushing to conclusions.
In Nouakchott, the Mauritanian foreign ministry condemned the targeting of Saudi Arabia, saying in a statement that “it will not serve the integrity and credibility of the on-going investigation.”
After its session on Tuesday, the Saudi cabinet said the kingdom “appreciated countries that don’t seek to exploit rumours and accusations”.
