The European Union could participate in the G20 summit in Riyadh, even if it is to be chaired by Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, suggests a written reply to the European Parliament from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, which was published on 26 February.
Mr Borrell had been asked in writing on 18 December by Alessandra Moretti (S&D, Italy) about the EU and its G20 member states taking part in the summit, should the Saudi Prince, who is allegedly involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, take on the presidency.
While specifying that the EU “will continue to monitor the situation” regarding human rights in Saudi Arabia and “would use all diplomatic channels to make known its concerns, where appropriate”, the High Representative specified that the EU, “as a full member of the G20, would continue to participate at the appropriate level in the various meetings planned by the rotating Saudi Presidency of the G20, with a view also to the Riyadh summit in November 2020”.
Mr Borrell failed, however, to directly answer the question of EU representatives taking part should the presidency of the summit be held by the Prince.
On 21 February, the Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, took part in the G20 Finance meeting in Riyadh. Asked by EUROPE whether the issue of human rights had been raised by the Commissioner on the spot, the European Commission said that the discussions “had solely focused on the G20 agenda”.
The question of Member States and representatives of the institutions participating in a meeting chaired by Saudi Arabia had already been raised in December 2018, ahead of the EU-Arab League Summit in February 2019 (see EUROPE 12160/7). The European Heads of State and Government had decided to use the summit to express their concerns about the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Marion Fontana)