The Saudi crown prince told Joe Biden that the US had also made mistakes after the president confronted him over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Mr Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a punitive squad at the country’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Mr Biden said he challenged Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on the killing when he met the Saudi leader on Friday.
He said he was “straightforward and direct” and made his views on the killing “crystal clear”.
US intelligence agencies believe MBS approved the plot to kill the Washington Post columnist, and while running for president, Mr Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the killing.
The president drew criticism for greeting the crown prince with a fist bump when he landed in Saudi Arabia yesterday.
One of those who attacked Mr Biden was Mr Khashoggi’s fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who tweeted a photo of the moment and asked: “Is this the accountability you promised for my murder?”
The US president told reporters: “He [MBS] basically said he wasn’t personally responsible for it. I indicated that I thought it was him.”
In a statement to Reuters on Saturday, a Saudi official said the crown prince had told Mr Biden that the US had also made human rights mistakes.
“In the same year, similar unpleasant incidents happened and other journalists were killed in other parts of the world,” the crown prince said.
“The United States has also made a number of mistakes such as the Abu Ghraib prison incident in Iraq and others.
MBS has always denied approving the plan to kill Mr Khashoggi – who was an outspoken critic of the kingdom.
Image: Mr Biden said he ‘indicated’ to MBS that he believed he was responsible for the killing
The crown prince told Mr Biden that the kingdom had “taken all measures to prevent similar mistakes in the future”, the Saudi official said.
He also reportedly warned against imposing values on other countries by force, as well as raising the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead in an Israeli attack in May.
The US softened its stance on Saudi Arabia after its invasion of Ukraine sparked a global energy crisis.
Mr Biden wants the oil-producing group OPEC+ to increase production to bring down rising prices.
America also wants to maintain good relations with the kingdom to counter the growing influence of Russia and China.
Image: Mr Khashoggi was killed by a Saudi assassination squad in Istanbul in October 2018.
“We had a good discussion about ensuring global energy security and adequate oil supplies to support global economic growth,” Mr Biden said on Friday.
“I am doing everything possible to increase the supply to the United States of America, which I expect will happen.”
“The Saudis share this urgency, and based on our discussions today, I expect to see further steps in the coming weeks.”
The energy issue is back on the agenda in the Red Sea city of Jeddah today as Mr Biden joins a larger summit of Arab leaders.
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