French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic partnership on Monday aimed at deepening bilateral ties and reducing conflicts in the Middle East, including Lebanon, where the two leaders have held presidential elections. demanded.
The French leader arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a three-day official visit as the political crisis threatens to topple the French government.
After meeting Prince Mohammed, the de facto ruler of the oil-rich Gulf state, Macron’s office announced the signing of a new partnership aimed at “expanding defense, energy transfer, culture, transport and trade between the two countries.” Movement” is to improve cooperation.
The two leaders also agreed to “do everything possible to de-escalate tensions in the region,” including helping stabilize the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
“Together they called for the holding of presidential elections in Lebanon with the aim of bringing the Lebanese people together and making the necessary reforms for the country’s stability and security,” a statement from Macron’s office said.
Macron touched down in Riyadh in the afternoon, where he was greeted by an honor guard of sword-wielding soldiers and celebratory cannon fire as he disembarked from his plane.
He did not comment on the political situation upon his arrival in France.
Macron’s visit comes as France’s less than three-month-old minority government faces the prospect of being forced out by a no-confidence vote in the coming days.
The far-right National Rally party said it would vote to oust Michel Barnier’s government after the prime minister used an executive tool to push through a social security budget bill without parliamentary approval.
The Left is also expected to support the motion, which could happen as early as Wednesday. If successful, it would oust the government that was installed after a snap poll in September.
Macron’s three-day stay comes amid a flare-up of violence in Syria, where anti-government rebels have seized control of the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo.
The fighting in Syria comes after France brokered a ceasefire in neighboring Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Hezbollah.
Lebanese Army
Macron’s official visit is the first by a French president to Saudi Arabia since Jacques Chirac in 2006, reinforcing what the presidency calls a “very close relationship.”
In 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Riyadh consulate in Istanbul.
The French president and Prince Mohammed will see how they “work together” on the conflicts rocking the region, with Lebanon at the “center of the dialogue,” the French presidency said in an earlier statement.
Macron is hoping for Saudi support for the Lebanese army, which is being deployed on the border with Israel under a cease-fire but is poorly armed and trained.
He will also seek Saudi support to end the political disintegration that has crippled Lebanon’s government and economy.
Paris and Riyadh are also calling for a “political outcome” based on a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and a two-state solution of separate Israeli and Palestinian states.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has suspended talks with Washington over possible recognition of Israel in exchange for deeper security and bilateral ties with the United States.
In September, the crown prince hardened his stance, insisting that Saudi Arabia would not establish relations with Israel before the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Macron is joined by around 50 top executives from major French companies including TotalEnergies, EDF and Veolia, as well as start-ups in artificial intelligence and quantum physics.
France and Saudi Arabia aim to “significantly strengthen” their economic ties to “raise our common ambitions,” the presidency said.
Negotiations are also underway for Saudi Arabia to acquire French-made Rafale fighter jets, although no announcements are expected during the visit, according to sources close to the matter.