Araweelo News Network.
Riyadh (ANN)- French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Macron’s visit comes a day after Lebanon’s information minister resigned, and Macron met with Saudi Arabia’s heir apparent Mohammed bin Salman and other officials.
French President Macron Emmanuel and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed bilateral cooperation and regional interests, with the heir apparent hosting a luncheon for the president; the luncheon was also attended by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad.
Macron, who had already arrived in Jeddah, was welcomed at the airport by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the governor of Makkah and a royal adviser.
Saudi and French companies are expected to discuss co-operation in a number of areas, including energy, finance and tourism.
“Saudi Arabia, the most populous and most powerful country in the Gulf, has the key to maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as France’s efforts to help Lebanon,” French President Francois Hollande told reporters in Dubai.
The visit is part of Macron’s trip to the Gulf, visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from December 3 to 4, and is expected to hold talks with French companies, as France Many of Africa’s economies depended on it at this time, with many African countries complaining about it, which is expected to have severely damaged its economy.
The French president’s visit to the Middle East coincided with the announcement by Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi on Friday that he was stepping down.
George, speaking to the media in Beirut, said he had resigned in order to pave the way for a possible solution to the diplomatic crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, which stemmed from remarks he had made earlier about the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
He also explained that he understood from Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in a meeting three days ago, that France wanted to resign before Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week to help negotiate, opens with Saudi officials on Lebanon.
Kordahi, a Christian politician whose Hezbollah-backed Marada party has refused to resign weeks after his remarks, has even asked Prime Minister Mikati to put “national interests” first.
“I understand from Mikati, that the French want my resignation to take place before his visit (Macron),” Kordahi told a news conference, adding that he believed Mikati had promised that Macron would discuss Lebanese relations with Riyadh.
Kordahi’s condemnation of the war in Yemen, in late October, led to the expulsion of the Lebanese ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the return of its ambassador included a ban on all Lebanese production, a new blow to the country’s economy. Poor Lebanon.
Other Gulf States with a historic friendship with Lebanon, including the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, have taken similar diplomatic steps, which appeared to be a political threat against Lebanon, with Saudi apologies.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said last month that the kingdom’s decision to cut ties was due to Iran’s growing Hezbollah-led occupation of Lebanon and that its dealings with the Hezbollah-backed Lebanese government were “unproductive.” useless. “
Hezbollah backed Kordahi’s decision not to resign, and Hezbollah said Riyadh was behind the crisis in the country, so Lebanon did not comply with foreign orders and called on Saudi-led Zionists.
Published by Araweelo News Network.
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By Arraale M Jama Freelance Journalist and Human Rights activist.
info@araweelonews.com
