LONDON: Britain, France and Germany on Sunday welcomed efforts by Saudi Arabia and Turkey to probe the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a Saudi national who had been based in the US, has been missing since Oct. 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to secure divorce papers. In a joint statement, Britain’s foreign minister Jeremy Hunt, his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and Germany’s Heiko Maas said said it encouraged efforts to investigate Khashoggi’s disappearance. “We encourage joint Saudi-Turkish efforts in that regard, and expect the Saudi Government to provide a complete and detailed response. We have conveyed this message directly to the Saudi authorities,” the statement said. The statement also also said whoever was responsible for the disappearance of Khashoggi must be held to account. “There needs to be a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened, and — if relevant — to identify those bearing responsibility for the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, and ensure that they are held to account,” said the statement. “Defending freedom of expression and a free press and ensuring the protection of journalists are key priorities for Germany, the United Kingdom and France,” the ministers said in the statement issued by the Foreign Office in London. “In this spirit, light must be shed on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” it said. Saudi Arabia warned on Sunday it would retaliate against any sanctions imposed on the Kingdom over Khashoggi’s disappearance.