On Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron inked a strategic alliance with the goal of strengthening their relationship and reducing tensions in the Middle East, especially Lebanon, where they both demanded presidential elections.
At a time when a political crisis threatens to overthrow the French administration, the French leader landed in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a three-day state visit.
Macron’s office announced the creation of a new alliance to improve collaboration in “defence, energy transition, culture, and mobility between the two countries” during a meeting with Prince Mohammed, the de facto ruler of the oil-rich Gulf country.
Additionally, the two leaders “agreed to make every effort to contribute to de-escalation in the region,” which includes strengthening the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
In order to unite the Lebanese people and implement the reforms required for the stability and security of the nation, they jointly called for the conduct of presidential elections in Lebanon, according to a statement released by Macron’s office.
When Macron stepped off his plane in the afternoon in Riyadh, he was met by a ceremonial cannon fire and an honor guard of soldiers brandishing swords.
When he came, he made no remarks about the political climate in France.
Macron’s tour started while France’s minority administration, which had only been in power for three months, was in danger of being overthrown in the next few days by a vote of no confidence.
After the prime minister used an executive instrument to ram through a social security budget package without parliamentary approval, the far-right National Rally Party declared it would vote to overthrow Michel Barnier’s government.
The motion, which might be held as early as Wednesday, is also anticipated to receive support from the left wing. If successful, it would overthrow the government that was put in place following hasty elections in September.
Macron’s three-day visit also comes as anti-government rebels in Syria have taken control of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, sparking a resurgence of violence.
Following France’s mediation of a ceasefire in neighboring Lebanon, where Israel has been engaged in combat with Hezbollah, there is now fighting in Syria.
The Lebanese army’s state visit solidifies what the presidency describes as a “very close relationship” and is the first time a French president has visited Saudi Arabia since Jacques Chirac in 2006.
After Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed at Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018, Macron was among the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia in 2021.
With Lebanon at the “heart of the discussions,” the French president and Prince Mohammed will explore how they “work together” on the issues roiling the region, as the French presidency stated earlier.
The Lebanese army, which is being sent near the Israeli border as part of the ceasefire but is ill-equipped and untrained, is something Macron hopes Saudi Arabia will assist.
Additionally, he will attempt to enlist Saudi assistance in reversing the political deterioration that has caused Lebanon’s government and economy to collapse.
A ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and a “political outcome” predicated on the two-state solution of independent Israeli and Palestinian nations are also demands made by Paris and Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia, which is home to some of the most sacred places in Islam, has put a halt to talks with Washington about possibly recognizing Israel in exchange for closer security and bilateral relations with the US.
The crown prince solidified his stance in September, stating that Saudi Arabia would not forge connections with Israel prior to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
About 50 top officials from well-known French corporations, such as TotalEnergies, EDF, and Veolia, as well as start-ups in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum physics, are with Macron.
According to the presidency, France and Saudi Arabia want to “significantly strengthen” their economic links to “the height of our shared ambition.”
According to a source close to the matte, talks are also in on for Saudi Arabia to purchase French-made Rafale fighter fighters, though no announcement is anticipated during the visit.
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