It is a diplomatic meeting expected by some, much criticized by others. French President Emmanuel Macron meets on Saturday, December 4 in Jeddah, on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman, strongman of the kingdom, to ensure the “Stability” in the Gulf and discuss in particular the situation in Lebanon.
Mr. Macron is on an express tour of the Gulf. He arrived in this large Saudi Red Sea port city the day after a visit to the United Arab Emirates. The strong man of the kingdom welcomed the French president in the early afternoon in the royal palace. After having had an interview, they were to have lunch together.
The French head of state is thus one of the first Western leaders to meet Mohammed Ben Salman since the assassination in 2018 of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country’s consulate in Istanbul. The international image of the crown prince has been strongly tarnished by this affair.
The French head of state deemed it necessary to speak to Saudi Arabia on Friday, “Leading Gulf country in terms of size”, to can “To work for the stability of the region”. But this “Does not mean that we are complacent”, he assured, alluding to this assassination.
“I note that Saudi Arabia organized the G20 in the following year [l’affaire Khashoggi] and I did not notice that many powers boycotted the G20 “, he further noted, omitting to specify that the meeting, in November 2020, was held by videoconference, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have always been clear on the subject of human rights or this matter”, insisted Emmanuel Macron.
Lebanese crisis
Facing the Crown Prince, he intends in particular to plead the cause of Lebanon where the economic crisis has been worsened by the diplomatic crisis that began in October with several Gulf States, foremost among which Saudi Arabia, which had frozen its imports.
These efforts should take advantage of the resignation, announced Friday, of Lebanese Minister of Information George Kordahi, at the origin of the crisis for having criticized Riyadh’s military intervention in Yemen.
Welcoming this resignation, Emmanuel Macron expressed his hopes of “Be able to re-engage all the Gulf countries in relations with Lebanon”. He has been very involved for a year in helping Lebanon come out of the worst socio-economic crisis in its history.
Relations between Beirut and the Arab Gulf states have grown strained in recent years due to the growing influence of pro-Iranian Hezbollah.
“France has a role to play in the region (…) but how can we want to work for the stability of the region, how can we want to deal with Lebanon and deal with so many subjects while ignoring the leading Gulf country in terms of geography and size ”, underlined the French president.
The United Arab Emirates signed on Friday, on the first day of the presidential trip to the Gulf, an agreement to acquire 80 Rafale fighter jets – a record order for the fighter jet which entered service in 2004 – for 14 billion euros. Other military contracts (helicopters and weapons) pushed the total to 17 billion.
After Dubai, where he met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed Ben Zayed Al Nahyane, the French President met in Qatar with Emir Sheikh Tamim Ben Hamad Al Thani.
Emmanuel Macron notably “Thanked” Qatar for organizing the evacuation of 258 Afghans “Threatened because of their commitments” Where “Of their links with France”, which will be repatriated to France after passing through Doha.
Complaint in Paris
At the same time of this presidential trip, a complaint was filed Friday in Paris with the constitution of civil party against the heir princes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in particular for financing of terrorism. The plaintiffs, victims of the war in Yemen, accuse the two countries of having established a “Alliance” with the jihadist group Al-Qaeda, explained their lawyer Joseph Breham.
Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States, has been intervening in Yemen since 2015 at the head of a military coalition in support of the government against the Houthi rebels, politically supported by Iran, enemy of Washington and regional rival of Riyadh.
The Emirates withdrew their troops from Yemen in 2019 but remain members of the coalition. Saudi authorities have not responded to the requests at this stage. Also contacted, the Emirati power had no immediate comment to make.