UK trade minister Fox will not attend Riyadh summit -govt spokesman

Reuters
Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox addresses the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, Britain September 30, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - British trade minister Liam Fox has decided not to attend an investment summit in Riyadh, a government spokesman said on Thursday.

Earlier the French and Dutch finance ministers said they too had pulled out of the summit as international pressure on Saudi Arabia over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi grows.

"The Secretary of State for International Trade has decided the time is not right for him to attend the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on 23 October," the spokesman said. "The UK remains very concerned about Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance ... Those bearing responsibility for his disappearance must be held to account."

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Stephen Addison)