United States Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Tuesday met Saudi King Salman and Foreign Minister al-Jubeir in Riyadh. During the meetings the two sides discussed the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and it was agreed that there is a need for a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation in the case.
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh. The Secretary thanked the King for Saudi Arabia's strong partnership with the United States. The Secretary and the King discussed a number of regional and bilateral issues. The Secretary also thanked the King for his commitment to supporting a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation of Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance," Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
In a separate press statement, US State Department said that during his meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister al-Jubeir, Pompeo reiterated US concerns over Khashoggi's disappearance.
"The Secretary thanked the Foreign Minister for his continued partnership and he and the foreign minister followed up on a range or regional and bilateral issues discussed at the UN General Assembly. The Secretary reiterated US concern over Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance. The Secretary and the foreign minister agreed on the importance of a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation," the US State Department said.
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. While his fiancee claimed Khashoggi never stepped out of the embassy after entering it, Turkish authorities reportedly claimed having evidences that suggests that Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate, an allegation that Saudi Arabia has strongly denied.