Turkish judicial police officers leave after searching for evidence of Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 18 October.(Photo: AFP)

Many world leaders continue to press Saudi Arabia a few weeks after the disappearance this month of Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi, who was last seen entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul October 2 for routine documents needed for the wedding of his Turkish bride.

Meanwhile, the Saudi government remains defensive and provocative even as media in Turkey and the United States report new allegations that Riyadh has played a role in the alleged disappearance and murder of Khashoggi.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the United States and Saudi Arabia enjoyed a long history as allies, urging the patience needed to allow the Saudi government to conduct its own investigation.

"I think it's important for all of us to also remember that we have a long relationship – since 1932 – that we maintain a strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Pompeo told reporters. outside the White House following his meeting with President Donald Trump. situation. "They can be an important partner in the fight against terrorism, they have custody of two holy places, they constitute an important strategic alliance."

"There are a lot of stories about what happened, and I will allow the process to move forward and the facts to unfold," he said. "And as they unfold, we will determine ourselves about what happened there, based on the facts presented."

More: "A few more days": Secretary of State Pompeo exhorts to be patient for the lost journalist

The G7 Foreign Ministers, made up of senior diplomats from Canada, the United States, France, Germany, the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, issued a statement Wednesday in which they are worried about the death of Khashoggi, columnist of the Washington Post. oil-rich kingdom living in self-imposed exile. Ministers said that those responsible for his disappearance should be held responsible.

The G7 statement comes just days after the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany and France issued a joint statement calling for a comprehensive and detailed response to Khashoggi's disappearance from the Saudi government.

On Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt published a photo of his Twitter account with Fred Ryan, chief executive of the Washington Post, with whom he spoke in London, and said he it was urgent to know what had happened to Khashoggi.

This image, taken from a video surveillance video obtained by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet and published on October 9, 2018, claims to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. (Photo: CCTV via AP)

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union and Vice-President, said this week that the EU expects "total clarity" and "thorough investigations" from the authorities. Saudi.

Thursday morning Amnesty International has asked Turkey to ask UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to open a US investigation that would give his team full access to travel and to question potential witnesses and suspects responsible. the possible extra-judicial badbadination of Khashoggi.

"The involvement of the United Nations is the best guarantee against Saudi bleaching or against any attempts by other governments to preserve the climate of lucrative trading relations with Riyadh," said Robert Mahoney, Deputy Executive Director of the Committee. for the protection of journalists, in a statement from Amnesty International. declaration.

Jamal Khashoggi on a photo taken on December 15, 2014. The Saudi veteran journalist who had criticized the government disappeared after visiting the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on September 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo: Mohammed Al-Shaikh, AFP / Getty Images)

In an interview with the BBC, the UN secretary-general called for "a firm search for truth". Asked if governments should participate in the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh this month, he said governments should "act appropriately". once, there is a clear answer as to what happened to Khashoggi.

Pompeo told reporters on Thursday that the United States had clearly told the Saudi government the seriousness of the charges against them. "They badured me that they would conduct a thorough and thorough investigation," he said.

Shortly after, after meeting Trump and Pompeo, the Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, announced on Twitter that he would not attend the conference titled "Davos in the Desert".

According to the Financial Times, many other prestigious attendees have dropped out of the investment conference, including JPMorgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, Ford Motor Company President Bill Ford, and Virgin Group, found Richard Branson . CNN reported that the International Monetary Fund (Monnaie) announced Tuesday that its president, Christine Lagarde, had postponed her visit to Riyadh for the conference.

While many world leaders were calling for an investigation to try and punish the culprits, Trump shifted his stance, demanding "severe punishments" to floating theories of "murderous thugs" to say his administration "is not going go from Saudi Arabia. "

The kingdom denied any involvement in Khashoggi's alleged disappearance and defied his defense.

"The Kingdom, as a government and people, is steadfast, glorious as always, whatever the pressures and circumstances," said a statement released Monday following the international outcry.

Through the Saudi Public Relations Press Agency, the Saudi News Agency has issued statements of support and solidarity from several countries and groups in the region, including Jordan. , the United Arab Emirates and the Arab League.

For example, the Jordanian Minister of Information, Jumana Ghunaimat, issued a statement stating that "Jordan stood alongside Saudi Arabia despite the rumors and campaigns that led it unmistakably. to press facts.

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