United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday he will not attend the upcoming investment conference in Saudi Arabia, after consulting with US President Donald Trump and State Secretary Mike Pompeo.
Mnuchin stated earlier that he plans to be present at the event "for now," after which president Trump said that a final decision will be made before Friday. Treasury Secretary joined a number of other politicians and business leaders from Western countries that have withdrawn from the event in the Saudi capital called "Future Investment Initiative," scheduled for October 23-25.
Just today, French and Dutch Finance ministers have announced they will skip the conference, followed by British Trade Secretary Liam Fox, citing concerns over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after he entered Saudi Consulate on October 2. Trump has threatened with "severe punishment" if the Saudi government is found culpable of a possible murder of the journalist, known for his criticism of the Saudi royal family.
