Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancee, has said she felt “sad and disappointed” after seeing the meeting between Biden and Bin Salmán, but has reiterated her intention to fight “until justice prevails.”
Euskaraz irakurri: Bidenen eta Bin Salmanen arteko agurra, Khashoggiren hilketa ixteko saiakera
A fist bump between the US president, Joe Bidenand the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salmanserved this Friday to try to close the chapter on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, one of the darkest in the relationship between the two nations.
Hatice CengizKhashoggi’s fiancee, has said she felt “sad and disappointed” after seeing the meeting between Biden and Bin Salmán, but has reiterated her intention to fight “until justice prevails.”
The greeting between Biden and Bin Salmán has been cold. The prince has come to receive the American at the entrance of the Al Salam Royal Palace in Jeddah and, just as the president was getting out of his black limousine, he has approached to bump his fist using a greeting mode that became popular during the pandemic. The gesture has lasted a few seconds.
The image has had immediate impact because it contradicted promises Biden made during the 2020 election campaign, when he pledged to treat Saudi Arabia as an “outcast” on the international scene and make its leaders pay a “price” for the 2018 assassination of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Even shortly after arriving at the White House, Biden declassified a report in which the CIA accused Bin Salmán of having approved the operation that resulted in the death and dismemberment of the journalist.
lower oil prices
Despite the pressure that existed on Biden not to see Bin Salmán, the meeting took place because the US needs to repair the relationship with Saudi Arabia so that it helps lower oil prices, triggered by the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia.
A journalist asked Biden if he still considered Saudi Arabia a “pariah”, while another journalist from the US network NBC, addressing Bin Salmán, shouted: “Jamal Khashoggi, would you apologize to his family?”. None of the leaders has answered and it has only been possible to see how Bin Salmán smiled at the questions from the press, which has been ejected from the room.
Rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel
Indirectly, the president’s visit has served to achieve a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations.
Hours before Biden arrived in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia announced that from now on it will allow all civil aircraft to fly over its territory, which in practice serves to authorize flights from and to the Hebrew State.
This change will allow Israeli airlines to significantly shorten routes to China, India or Thailand.
Source: Eitb
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