British Prime Minister Theresa May has told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he should take action to prevent the recurrence of incidents like the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, her office said on Friday.
The two leaders sat stony-faced as they met during part of the G20 summit in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aries.
‘The Prime Minister stressed the importance of ensuring that those responsible for the appalling murder of Jamal Khashoggi are held to account, and that Saudi Arabia takes action to build confidence that such a deplorable incident could not happen again,’ May’s office said in a readout of a meeting with Prince Mohammed.
Saudi Royal Court shows British Prime Minister Theresa May (centre left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (centre right). The G20 Summit (or G-20 or Group of Twenty) takes place from 30 November to 01 December 2018 and brings together the heads of State or Government of the 20 largest economies
British Prime Minister Theresa May looks stony faced as she joins Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for a bilateral on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 30 November 2018
The killing of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi last month at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West and battered Prince Mohammed’s image abroad
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, top center, stands as Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May, right, and Brazil’s President Michel Temer, left, gather for a group photo at the start of the G20 summit
The killing of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi last month at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West and battered Prince Mohammed’s image abroad.
Saudi Arabia has said the prince had no prior knowledge of the killing.
Western leaders are also concerned about the worsening situation in Yemen, where a Saudi-led war has put millions on the brink of starvation.
There has been widespread condemnation and public outrage over attacks on sites such as school bus and hospitals, where Yemeni civilians, including children, have died.
U.S. President Donald Trump looks over at Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman during the opening day of Argentina G20 Leaders’ Summit 2018 at Costa Salguero
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) speaks to French President Emmanuel Macron in Buenos Aires during the G20 Leaders’ Summit, on November 30, 2018
The BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg wrote on Twitter that ‘The Prime Minister stressed the importance of ensuring that those responsible for the appalling murder of Jamal Khashoggi are held to account.’
‘She encouraged Crown Prince to ensure Saudi Arabia co-operated fully with Turkish authorities and worked to bring both investigations to an acceptable close.
‘To ensure full accountability there needed to be full transparency about exactly what had happened’.
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke to the prince about the killing Khashoggi, his office confirmed.
Theresa May also held a historic one-to-one with Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri – the first time a British Premier has visited the country since the Falklands
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (centre) and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greet each other with a familiar and friendly handshake
Putin (left) and Prince Mohammad will likely find common ground in that they are both under increasing pressure from Western countries over aggressive foreign policy
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman talks with Russia President Vladimir Putin during a G20 session with other heads of state, Friday, November 30
World leaders participate in a family photo at the G20 summit, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Before the summit, May said Saudi Arabia needs to ensure that their probe is ‘a full investigation, that it’s credible, that it’s transparent, and that people can have confidence in the outcome of it, and that those responsible are held to account.’
US President Donald Trump said before the summit in a statement that he was unconcerned with whether Prince Mohammed was involved in Khashoggi’s death, naming business ties with Saudi Arabia and its hostility to Iran as his priorities.
Meanwhile a beaming Vladimir Putin welcomed Prince Mohammed at the G20 summit by shaking his hand as if the two were old friends, in an image that quickly went viral.
The two will likely find common ground in that the Russian leader has also been put under increasing pressure from Western countries in recent days.
Putin’s warships rammed, fired on, then seized three Ukrainian boats in the Kerch Strait in a serious escalation of tensions around Crimea, leading the G20 nations to issue a joint condemnatory statement today.