Onlykashmir.in News Desk
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held high level talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday, marking the centerpiece of a two day official visit aimed at deepening the strategic partnership between the two nations. The Saudi leader was formally received by Macron after earlier meeting French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu at the Hotel des Invalides, where he inspected a Guard of Honour before proceeding to the presidential palace for bilateral discussions.
The visit, Mohammed bin Salman’s third to Paris after trips in 2022 and 2023, comes at the invitation of Macron, whose own state visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024 had produced a wide range of agreements and set the stage for the launch of the Saudi French Strategic Partnership Council. Monday’s talks saw the two leaders convene the inaugural session of that council, a body intended to provide a structured, high level framework for cooperation across political, economic, cultural, technological and strategic domains.
According to the French presidency, discussions centered on the major economic and strategic pillars of the bilateral relationship, along with an exchange of views on pressing regional challenges. Officials indicated that close coordination between France and its Gulf partners remains essential to supporting stability in the Near and Middle East, with the ongoing crisis around the Strait of Hormuz, energy transport diversification and the situations in Lebanon and Syria all expected to have featured prominently in the conversation.
The two leaders were also set to oversee the signing of several cooperation agreements spanning healthcare, transport and energy, part of a broader push to translate the strategic partnership into concrete joint projects. A Saudi French business forum and investment roundtable, bringing together senior CEOs, investors and ministers from both countries, ran alongside the official proceedings, underscoring the economic dimension of the visit.
The diplomatic engagement followed a symbolically significant start to the visit on Sunday evening, when Macron and the crown prince attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais near the Champs Elysees, the tournament’s first edition hosted in France at Saudi Arabia’s request. Macron had earlier described the visit as an important step in Saudi French relations, emphasizing the two countries’ shared commitment to promoting peace and stability amid ongoing regional turbulence.
Monday’s schedule was expected to conclude with an official dinner at the Elysee Palace in honour of the crown prince and his accompanying delegation, capping a visit that both governments have framed as a milestone in the evolving Saudi French strategic relationship.
