Former environmental presidential candidate Yannick Jadot on Thursday criticized the visit to the Elysee Palace by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salmane, approved on the contrary by Renaissance MP Aurore Bergé in the name of the “necessity” of “dialogue”.
For his first visit to Europe since the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Mohammed bin Salman dined Thursday with Emmanuel Macron, arousing the anger of human rights defenders. “On the dinner menu between Emmanuel Macron and MBS the dismembered body of journalist Khashoggi? Climate chaos? Peace and human rights? Overshoot day? No! Oil and weapons! The exact opposite of what he must do!”, denounced the EELV MEP on Twitter.
“I believe it is important for the President of the French Republic to be able to receive a certain number of those who are de facto his interlocutors (…) all the more so in the context that we know, linked to the crisis Ukraine and the major energy issues that we have”, argued on the contrary on Franceinfo the leader of the Renaissance deputies (ex-LREM) Aurore Bergé.
The Crown Prince’s return to the international scene
“Discussing with all the Gulf countries seems to me an absolute necessity, that does not mean that you are forgetting the subjects (…) which are essential in terms of values and human rights, but you have the obviously need to maintain a dialogue,” she added. “We also need to continue to have an in-depth dialogue with all the Gulf countries, and you must do it, including obviously with the Saudi president,” she insisted.
This visit by Mohammed bin Salman, says MBS, comes after that of Emmanuel Macron to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in December.
It also marks the return of the crown prince, who welcomed President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, on the international scene: MBS had been banned by Western countries, after the murder in 2018 of critical Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country’s consulate in Istanbul.
The context of the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices has also prompted Western countries to review their relations with Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil, which they are trying to convince to open valves in order to relieve the markets.