French President Emmanuel Macron is holding off on a response to the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying more facts are needed and he plans to talk to the kingdom’s leaders, reports Bloomberg.
“The facts are serious, very serious, and I am waiting for the truth and for clarity to be established,” Macron told broadcaster RFI on Friday during a visit to Armenia. “The first elements are extremely worrying.”
France has never put economic interests ahead of political interests, Macron said when asked how he plans to handle the situation with Saudi Arabia. He said he’ll be discussing the case with King Salman, Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that Turkish officials believe Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi royal family, was killed inside the consulate, at the orders of Saudi Arabia’s leadership.