Germany presses for 'EU freeze on Saudi arms sales'

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told ZDF television that joint EU position is needed "because only if all European countries agree, this will make an impression on the government in Riyadh".

"It will have no positive consequences if we, as we are doing, currently don't pursue our arms exports if at the same time other countries fill this gap," Altmaier said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that her country will not export arms to Saudi Arabia for now in the wake of Khashoggi's death.

"I agree with all those who say when it comes to our already limited arms exports (to Saudi Arabia) that they cannot take place in the current situation," she told reporters at her party headquarters on Sunday.

Her foreign minister, Heiko Maas, had already said on Saturday that he currently saw "no basis for decisions in favour of arms exports to Saudi Arabia".

Germany last month approved 416 million euros ($480 million) worth of arms exports to Saudi Arabia for 2018. In the past, military exports by Berlin to Saudi have mostly consisted of patrol boats.

Germany and Saudi Arabia only returned their ambassadors in September after 10 months of frosty relations following criticism from Berlin of what it said was Saudi interference in Lebanese affairs.

The Khashoggi case has opened a serious new rift with European partners Britain, France and Germany saying in a joint statement earlier that Saudi Arabia must clarify how Khashoggi died inside its Istanbul consulate, and its account must "be backed by facts to be considered credible".

After a fortnight of denials, Saudi authorities admitted Saturday that Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and prominent critic of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed after entering the consulate in Turkey on October 2.

But it has faced a growing chorus of incredulity over its belated explanation that he died in a "brawl", as world powers demand answers and the whereabouts of his body.