France said on Wednesday that it is now weighing on the possibility to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia should the investigation conducted by the French intelligence agency be able to establish the kingdom's responsibility on the disappearance and the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a high ranking official revealed.
The report from France 24 cited the statement from the Elysee Palace indicating the possibility for Paris to chime in on the sanctions proposed by the international community against those deemed responsible for the murder of the Saudi journalist.
According to the publication, French President Emmanuel Macron had recently got hold of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia this week.
As tipped by the informants, Macron told the head of the Saudi monarch that France outwardly condemns the crime committed on Khashoggi and demanded that the case should be given light so as to clarify the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
So far, the Macron administration has relatively been apprehensive in giving its reactions to the Khashoggi issue given the European country's close diplomatic relations as well as business and economic ties with Riyadh.
France and Saudi Arabia shared a bustling commercial relationship spanning from finance, energy, and even in arms.
Presidential spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said during a press conference on Wednesday that France will maintain its neutral stance regarding the journalist's demise as long as the investigation still couldn't establish the facts linking the Kingdom's involvement in the overall scheme.
The government will continue to corroborate with information agencies and until then, it will not make any move, according to India Times.
However, Griveaux said that once everything has been made clear and that the intelligence reports will prove the initial assumptions that Saudi was indeed responsible on the Khashoggi's death, then France will draw its conclusions on the matter. The French government will then impose appropriate sanctions on the oil-rich country.
This would be the first time that Paris had publicly expressed its intention to implement sanctions with regards to the matter. Diplomats, however, drew their concern on the repercussions of this decision knowing that it could certainly put a strain on France's political relationship with Saudi Arabia.
According to Reuters, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made an assurance that the kingdom will bring Khashoggi's killers to justice.
The Saudi family has maintained its innocence and denied accusations pointing towards its role in the killing.
Khashoggi died on October 2 during his visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Khashoggi was a victim of the so-called political murder instigated by Saudi intelligence officers.
