Duke of York: Stay in touch with the Saudis

The Duke of York said his initiative to support entrepreneurs should continue to "engage" with Saudi Arabia, despite the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month.

Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi leaders, was killed in the country's consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd.

The Duke stated that the journalist's death was an "abominable state of affairs".

But he added that Pitch @ Palace should not stop "encouraging and supporting start-up and growing businesses".

He told the BBC that young Saudis should not "take responsibility for something with which they had nothing to do".

• Jamal Khashoggi: All you need to know

• Saudi summit begins amidst boycott

• Why does Saudi Arabia count for the West?

Prince Andrew was speaking on Radio 4's Today show in anticipation of the final tour of his Pitch @ Palace initiative.

The non-profit organization, which he created in 2014, offers aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to "publicize" an audience of professionals who could become their mentors, distributors or investors and help them develop their activities.

The events are held twice a year and on Thursday, 42 entrepreneurs from the UK will gather at Buckingham Palace to settle in a room filled with prominent investors and other men from all over the world. 39; business.

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Pitch @ Palace Global organizes similar events for entrepreneurs from different countries of the world, especially in Saudi Arabia.

"It's sometimes considered a tough enough market to penetrate, but they were the first country to ask us to get Pitch out of the UK, and we went in 2015 and it was a great success," he said. said Duke, Dominic O. Connell.

The Duke said that Khashoggi's assassination last month was "an absolutely horrible state of affairs and that, how, what and why, he exceeds my knowledge and ability to respond."

However, he added, "Do I need to think that we should engage with Saudi Arabia?

"From the point of view of pitch and pitch alone, I do not think we should stop for a moment to encourage and support start-up and growing companies.

"They need to diversify their economy, they have a very young population that is growing up and needs things to do, so if we are just one of the many activities going on, then I think that's what's going on. they should not necessarily take the blame for something with which they have nothing to do. "

Last week, students from Huddersfield University called for the resignation of the Duke as Chancellor, after talking about strengthening his ties with Saudi Arabia via Pitch @ Palace.

"Terrible record"

Saudi Arabia admits that Mr. Khashoggi was killed in his consulate in Istanbul last month, but his accounts of what happened have changed several times.

When he disappeared for the first time, it was said that Khashoggi came out alive from the building. He later admitted that he had been murdered, claiming that the murder had been premeditated and resulted from a "dishonest operation".

Turkish investigators believe that he was strangled and then dismembered.

His death has prompted many Western leaders and politicians, including British Secretary of International Trade Liam Fox, to step down from a Saudi summit aimed at attracting investment to the kingdom.

In response to the Duke's interview with the BBC, Amnesty International said she hoped he "re-evaluated his entire relationship with Saudi Arabia."

Peter Frankental, director of the organization's economic relations program for the UK, said no one could "fool himself over Saudi Arabia's appalling record of human rights." ;man".

"All business personalities need to be aware that their relationship with Saudi Arabia can sullicate them with human rights violations, especially if they receive the investments that flow from them."

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The Duke of York was the UK's "special representative" for trade and investment from 2001 until his resignation in 2011.

As UK commercial envoy, his mission was to promote UK business interests abroad.

He was asked why he chose to withdraw from this role: "The decision made here at Buckingham Palace was that every member of the family contributes to the business relationship.[s] around the world.

"I still support the UK in all the ways I have previously, but we all do it now and in a slightly different way," he said.