US President Joe Biden. File photoWASHINGTON, Jun 10The assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will definitely be on the agenda of upcoming talks between US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, despite Washington's desire to normalize bilateral relations, CNN reported on Friday, citing sources in the administration.According to Biden «plans to directly raise the issue of Khashoggi's murder with the crown prince when they meet next month.» At the same time, according to the channel, Washington is seeking to convey to the authorities in Saudi Arabia the message of its readiness to «reset» relations, undermined by the murder of a journalist in 2018. The channel's sources cite the need to maintain close contact with the kingdom against the backdrop of historical inflation and rising energy prices fueled by the situation in Ukraine as the reason for this.Disagreements between the United States and Saudi Arabia have reached a peak, media reported «Both sides have decided that in order to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, we must leave this in the past (Khashukji's assassination — ed.),» Biden was quoted as saying by the channel. In early June, Biden admitted that he would soon pay a visit to Saudi Arabia, but stressed that the final plans have not yet been formed. The New York Times wrote that Biden plans to meet with the crown prince of the kingdom to restore the previous level of contacts between the two countries. Axios also reported that the US was «trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia» in hopes of boosting the kingdom's oil output. At the beginning of the month, it became known about a number of mutual visits of high-ranking representatives of the two countries, including those related to the preparation of top-level contacts. US relations with Saudi Arabia deteriorated after Biden came to power amid claims to the human rights situation and the military campaign in Yemen. Biden promised during his campaign to turn Saudi Arabia into a «rogue state» for the Khashoggi incident. American intelligence indicated that the crown prince of the kingdom was directly involved in the murder of an opposition journalist. In April, American media reported that during a recent visit to the Middle East by US presidential adviser Jake Sullivan, the crown prince raised his voice due to the fact that the interlocutor raised the topic of the murder of a journalist , stating that he no longer wishes to discuss the issue, and advised the US to forget about asking the kingdom to increase oil production. Saudi Arabia to Trump's son-in-law's firm
