Macron: Calls to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia are ‘pure demagoguery’

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday dismissed as “demagoguery” the calls by several European countries including Germany to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“What's the link between arms sales and Mr Khashoggi's murder?” Macron told a news conference in Slovakia.

“That's pure demagoguery to say 'we must stop arms sales'. It's got nothing to do with Mr Khashoggi,” he added.

Between 2008 and 2017, Saudi Arabia was the second biggest buyer of arms from France after India, with the kingdom signing contracts for French arms worth $13.8 billion.