MADRID, August 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, had assured this Thursday during a telephone call with the Saudi crown prince, Mohamed bin Salmán, that he hoped that the prime minister of an Arab country would also be able to visit the UK “as soon as possible” in the face of criticism from the opposition.

“The Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince assured that they will continue to work together to advance British-Saudi cooperation and look forward to meeting in person as soon as possible,” the government said in a statement after the telephone call between the Parties.

Sunak has emphasized Saudi Arabia’s “constructive and positive leadership” in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine following recent talks in Jeddah, while welcoming “with satisfaction” “progress” in the conflict in Yemen, where Britain “will continue to support efforts to extending the ceasefire and alleviating the humanitarian crisis.”

While it is not yet clear whether the Saudi crown prince will finally accept the invitation originally made in mid-July, the date could be the first half of October, as reported by the BBC.

Bin Salman’s visit to Britain will be the de facto Saudi leader’s first appearance on British soil since the scandal surrounding the murder of journalist Jamal Jashogi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and in which his heirs were implicated by news agencies. .

In this regard, the British opposition criticized Sunak for the possible visit of the Saudi crown prince. In particular, the liberal deputy democrat Layla Moran, has assured that the prime minister will roll out the “red carpet” to receive Bin Salmán.

“This man has an abysmal human rights record. He should not receive a warm welcome from the British government,” he said, adding that this would send a signal that “he can continue to act with impunity.”

However, the deputy chair of the British Labor Party, Angela Rayner, believes that the meeting between Sunak and Bin Salmán could be an opportunity to raise concerns about human rights in the country.

Last year, then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a meeting with Bin Salman in Riyadh and several British ministers have traveled to the kingdom since the journalist’s murder. The crown prince visited France last year, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.