French minister calls for full information on death of Saudi journalist

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Saudi Arabia's admission that dissident Jamal Khashoggi was killed at its Istanbul consulate was welcome "progress" but urged the kingdom to follow through with a full and transparent investigation.

"I note that the Saudi authorities have changed tack, admitted the facts and accepted some responsibility, so we're making progress," Le Maire said on France 3 television on Sunday. "But full light needs to be shed."

How bilateral relations develop from here will "depend on the way the truth is aired, the investigation conducted and the results established," Le Maire said.

(With inputs from agencies.)