French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation with King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud on Wednesday 24 October, as part of the strategic dialogue and historic relations between France and Saudi Arabia.

The two leaders discussed the investigation into the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. President Macron expressed his outrage at the crime and called on the King to ensure full light is shed on the circumstances which led to the tragedy. He reminded the Saudi monarch that defending freedom of expression, press freedom and public freedoms is an essential priority for France. France will not hesitate to impose international sanctions against the culprits, in coordination with its partners.

The two leaders also discussed regional issues, mainly Yemen and Syria.