William Molinié / Photo credit: XOSE BOUZAS / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
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07:02, June 16, 2023
Mohammed Ben Salmane, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia will be received this Friday at the Elysee Palace by Emmanuel Macron, a year after his last visit to the capital. A ten-day visit during which the French president will try to convince “MBS” to put pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
Faced with Mohammed Ben Salmane – who will be received this Friday at the Élysée – Emmanuel Macron is aiming for a double objective. The French president is counting on this visit by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia to heal his relationship with the oil monarchies but also to convince “MBS” to put pressure on Russia in order to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
So far, Saudi Arabia maintains a relatively neutral position on this war. If Riyadh were to line up behind Ukraine, that would be a strong message. And this, despite the cold snap with Washington after the Jamal Khashoggi affair, this Saudi journalist assassinated in Istanbul in 2018.
A summit for a new global financial pact
President Macron is preparing a summit for a new global financial pact for next week. About fifty heads of state are expected in Paris, many of them from non-aligned emerging countries that Westerners hope to rally to their camp in exchange for development aid.
Emmanuel Macron is therefore taking care of his relationship with Mohammed Ben Salmane who will remain in France until the end of this summit. On Monday, a ceremony is planned in Paris to formalize the candidacy of Saudi Arabia to host the World Expo in 2030.