None of the New Zealand officials will attend the so-called “Davos in the Desert” investment summit in Riyadh due to the circumstances of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death, Trade Minister David Parker said in a statement.
The statement also said that New Zealand condemns the killing of Washington Post journalist Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. New Zealand government is awaiting the outcome of Turkish investigation and keeping all options for next steps under review.
Previously, Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, vanished on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey to obtain an official document for his upcoming marriage. The incident caused a significant public outcry in Turkey as well as many Western countries.
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that Khashoggi died in a fight at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, after having denied any knowledge of his whereabouts for two weeks. Riyadh said 18 people had been already arrested over their involvement in the incident.
Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called on Sunday for carrying out a comprehensive investigation into the death of the Saudi journalist.
“That is regrettable. We are calling for a comprehensive investigation into the incident and taking fair and transparent reciprocal measures,” Kono said during his visit to Denmark, as quoted by the NHK broadcaster.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
