2023-06-17 01:31:58
Emmanuel Macron and “MBS” on the steps of the Élysée, Friday June 16. STEPHANIE LECOCQ / REUTERS
War in Ukraine, Lebanon, Syria, Iran… On each of these subjects, the French and Saudi positions no longer converge.
Lunch one-on-one, without speaking on the steps of the Élysée either before or after. The visit of the Saudi Crown Prince to France this Friday was surrounded by the utmost discretion. The reception of Saudi strongman Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) fueled criticism from rights activists, who had prayed Emmanuel Macron to raise this subject in front of his host, at a time when seven young Saudis are sentenced to death “for their opinion», selon Amnesty International. «Emmanuel Macron, will address the issueof human rights, the Elysée had announced the day before.
If this year, unlike his previous visit in July 2022, MBS arrived on time for this working lunch, since last summer, diplomatic differences have multiplied between Riyadh and Paris. For decades, Arabia has been both a client and an ally of France in the Middle East. Under the leadership of the young prince who exercises de facto power…
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