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Macron hosts MBS in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Paris for a two-day state visit that began Sunday evening at the Esports World Cup’s closing ceremony.
“the main topics of regional importance, within a framework of close collaboration between France and her partners in the Gulf”
The visit is set to run through Monday, when Macron’s office said the two leaders will discuss “the main topics of regional importance, within a framework of close collaboration between France and her partners in the Gulf”.
France 24 reported that Macron and the crown prince will sign several agreements on Monday covering “health, transport and energy” alongside talks likely to focus on Iran.
The agenda also includes discussion of energy routes that could bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with Macron’s adviser saying finding a resolution to “the US-Israel war on Iran, now in its sixth month” remains out of reach.
The trip follows MBS’s third visit to Paris after trips in 2022 and 2023, and it is his first outside the kingdom since Saudi Arabia signed a trilateral defence pact with Turkiye and Pakistan on August 7.
Unions protest; Khashoggi case
As the visit opened with the Esports World Cup in Paris, three French journalists’ unions protested against France hosting MBS, calling the trip a “provocation”.
France 24 reported that the unions’ joint statement cited a live French investigation for torture and forced disappearance after a complaint lodged in 2021 over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The unions said the visit, following a previous one hosted by Macron in July 2022, “looks like a provocation for defenders of media freedom and freedom of expression.”
Türkiye Today said the unions pointed to legal action in France tied to the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where his body was dismembered and “has never been recovered.”
Türkiye Today also said MBS’s visit formally opens at 1800 GMT Sunday when he joins Macron at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup, which spans video games and chess.
Regional security and deals ahead
Macron and MBS are due to chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council on Monday afternoon, with Macron’s office saying they will discuss “key regional issues, in a context calling for close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to foster stability and peace”.
“key regional issues, in a context calling for close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to foster stability and peace”
RFI said the Élysée Palace described the visit as an opportunity to sign “many agreements,” and it added that some projects are still being discussed while Monday brings economic agreements in transportation, energy, and health.
RFI also said the Iran-Saudi Arabia crisis, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Israeli-Palestinian issue and a two-state solution, the Lebanese situation, the Syrian situation, and cultural cooperation, especially at the site of Al-Ula, will be discussed.
Al Jazeera reported that Macron’s adviser said finding a way out of “the US-Israel war on Iran, now in its sixth month” remains out of reach, even as the leaders plan bilateral meetings and a business forum.
Infobae, citing EFE, said the Esports World Cup closing in Paris preceded Monday’s highlight at the Élysée Palace, where new bilateral agreements are expected in areas including defense and culture.