The Greek foreign ministry announced on Friday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will travel to Greece on July 26 to meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This will be the prince’s first trip to an EU nation since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018.
Without providing further information, the ministry stated that the two would soon sign bilateral agreements. According to a diplomatic source in Greece, the agreements covered a variety of industries, including energy, military cooperation, and an undersea data cable.
The primary terms for the establishment of a joint venture to lay the data cable connecting Europe with Asia were agreed upon by Greece and Saudi Arabia in May. The MENA HUB, a joint venture between the Greek satellite applications company TTSA and the Saudi Arabian telecoms company STC, will build the ‘East to Med data Corridor.’
After Khashoggi’s murder at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul ignited a scandal in the West, the visit will be widely observed.
U.S. intelligence came to the conclusion that the murder of the Washington Post columnist was explicitly approved by the crown prince. The prince disputes any involvement in the murder.
Since then, a few Western leaders have paid a visit to Riyadh, most recently U.S. President Joe Biden, who claimed to have confronted Prince Mohammed about the killing. The crown prince, according to Biden, said he had held those accountable.
Emanuel Macron, the president of France, and Mitsotakis both went last year.
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