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Parliamentary question - P-004508/2019(ASW)Parliamentary question
P-004508/2019(ASW)

Answer given by Vice-President Borrell on behalf of the European Commission

The EU, as part of its regular dialogue with Saudi counterparts, has raised on several occasions and at various levels the need to ensure full accountability for all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi on 2 October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. This has been also reiterated publically by the EU and most recently at the time of the verdicts on 23 December 2019.[1]

The EU, in close coordination with its Member States, is seeking to elevate its dialogue on human rights with Riyadh. As part of this endeavour the EU engaged on these important issues and notably trial monitoring and detained women activists with the Chairman of the Saudi Human Rights Commission during his most recent visit to Brussels in December 2019. It is our intention to continue similar discussions regularly with Saudi authorities, ensuring that the protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights remain at the core of EU's engagement with Saudi Arabia. On this basis the EU will continue to follow the situation and use all diplomatic channels to voice concerns when necessary.

As part of this engagement the EU, as a full member of the G20, will continue to take part at the appropriate level in the various meetings scheduled by the Saudi Arabian G20 rotating Presidency in view of the Riyadh Summit of November 2020. EU Member States that are part of the G20 act in their own capacity and the Commission does not have the competence to decide on their participation.

Last updated: 27 February 2020
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