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Macron hosts MBS in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Paris for a two-day state visit that begins Sunday evening with the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup.
“the main topics of regional importance, within a framework of close collaboration between France and her partners in the Gulf”
Macron’s office said the leaders will discuss “the main topics of regional importance, within a framework of close collaboration between France and her partners in the Gulf,” as agreements on health, transport and energy are due to be signed on Monday.
The visit is framed as building on the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council launched during Macron’s state visit to Riyadh in December 2024, with Monday’s agenda including regional security and economic ties.
Al Jazeera reported that officials expect discussion of energy routes that could bypass the Strait of Hormuz, alongside talks on the Iran conflict, Gaza-Israel and the wider situation in Palestine, and developments in Lebanon and Syria.
The BBC said the visit is expected to be welcomed late on Sunday, with criticism from French press groups describing it as an “insult” to defenders of press freedom.
Press unions protest, rights questioned
French journalist unions objected to the trip, issuing a joint statement that called the invitation a “provocation” given ongoing legal action in France tied to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The BBC reported that unions denounced the visit as “an insult” and said: “After a previous visit in July 2022, this new invitation from Emmanuel Macron to the Crown Prince appears to be an insult to those defending press freedom and freedom of expression.”
Türkiye Today said the unions pointed to a live French judicial investigation into MBS on charges of torture and forced disappearance, opened after a 2021 complaint over Khashoggi’s killing.
The BBC also reported that the unions noted “18 journalists are currently languishing in Saudi prisons,” according to RSF (Reporters Without Borders).
In parallel, Macron’s office said the leaders would discuss “key regional issues in a context calling for close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to promote stability and peace” in the Middle East.
Energy, security, and the next talks
Beyond the esports opening, Al Jazeera said Macron’s adviser told reporters that finding a resolution to the US-Israel war on Iran, now in its sixth month, remains out of reach, adding “It’s difficult to see a way out.”
“It’s difficult to see a way out.”
The agenda described by Al Jazeera includes energy routes that could bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with officials expecting discussion of “new pipelines, capacity upgrades and alternative port networks.”
On Monday afternoon, multiple outlets said MBS and Macron are due to chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council, with the Macron office describing it as a forum to foster stability and peace.
RFI said the two leaders last met in April in Islamabad during negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending the US-Israeli war in Iran, agreeing then to stay in “close contact” on de-escalation efforts.
RFI also said the visit comes as the French judiciary is investigating the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, and it quoted RSF calling on Macron to “champion press freedom” when he meets MBS.