2023-06-16 22:05:02
Emmanuel Macron and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, are calling for a quick end to the political vacancy in Lebanon, the Elysee Palace said on Friday following a meeting between the two leaders. The war in Ukraine was also discussed.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted for a working lunch, “MBS”, nickname of the young (37) de facto leader of the rich oil kingdom.
After the new failure of the Lebanese Parliament to elect a president, the situation of the country of the Cedars, where Ryad retains a crucial influence, was at the center of the discussions.
The absence of a president for eight months, “remains the major obstacle to a resolution of the severe socio-economic crisis” in Lebanon, noted the French presidency in a press release published following the meeting.
Emmanuel Macron and the Saudi prince also recalled “their shared attachment to security and stability in the Near and Middle East” and “marked their desire to continue their joint efforts in favor of a lasting easing of tensions”, added the French presidency.
This is the second visit of the prince, following that of July 2022, which had aroused the indignation of human rights defenders and the French left.
MBS then returned to Paris for the first time since the 2018 assassination in Turkey of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, attributed to the crown prince in particular by American intelligence, and which earned him a sulphurous reputation in the West.
The issue of Ukraine was also discussed on Friday as Emmanuel Macron tries to convince emerging countries to condemn the Russian invasion.
The French president expressed to the Saudi prince “his deep concern at Russia’s war of aggression (…), its disastrous impact on civilian populations and its repercussions on food security”, indicated the Elysée.
At the bilateral level, France is prepared to help Saudi Arabia “in strengthening its defense capabilities” and French companies wish to “continue to support it in the implementation of its ambitious Vision 2030”, a vast reform program, it was added.
Moving context
“The meeting is important for both sides in a changing international and Middle Eastern context,” said Ziad Majed, professor at the American University of Paris.
MBS has clearly positioned itself as supporting regional order and stability, even if this involves “stifling protest”, adds the professor.
Witness the fate of seven young Saudis, sentenced to death for “so-called crimes” committed when they were minors, according to Amnesty International. The youngest was, according to the NGO, 12 years old at the time of the events.
For the secretary general of Amnesty France Agnès Callamard, Emmanuel Macron must “do everything” to save their lives. The Elysée recalls in this respect that France is opposed in all circumstances to the death penalty.
Influence in Lebanon
Saudi Arabia is the country which, along with the other Gulf monarchies, can financially support Lebanon plunged into a historic crisis while Europeans are focused on Ukraine.
But, for Amnesty International, it is “absolutely counterproductive” to solicit Ryad. “It is not because they have money that we can ask them to invest in a country whose Prime Minister they have kidnapped,” said Agnès Callamard.
In 2017, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation from Riyadh, accused by the Lebanese political class of holding him hostage. An intervention from France had gotten him out of business.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Emmanuel Macron’s new special envoy for Lebanon, was not present during the meeting at the Elysée on Friday.
Economic interests
Ahmed Benchemsi, of the NGO Human Rights Watch, also deplores this visit.
“I find it regrettable to shake hands with a leader whose responsibility in the barbaric assassination of a journalist has been demonstrated, acting as if nothing had happened,” he notes.
MBS plans to stay for a long time in France where he owns several mansions, including a sumptuous castle in Louveciennes, near Paris.
In particular, he intends to defend the economic interests of the kingdom and push his candidacy for the 2030 Universal Exhibition, supported by Paris. He will attend the official nomination reception.
He will also participate on June 22 and 23 in the summit for a new global financial pact organized by the Élysée.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
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