With a handshake yuno slight approach to his cheek as a gesture of cordiality, the French president, Emmanuel Macronhas received this Friday at the Elysee the controversial crown prince to the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman.
The meeting falls within A summit in which both leaders will discuss various issues of a bilateral nature, but also internationalsuch as Russia’s war in Ukraine or the recent geopolitical movements in the Middle East that include, among other things, the reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia after decades of tensions.
The meeting is not without controversy, as there are those who accuse the French president of helping to “whiten” the image of Bin Salman -popularly known as MBS-, who is accused of being behind of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Türkiye in 2018.
[Sangre y petróleo, el cóctel con el que el príncipe MBS emborracha al mundo]
It is the second time in less than a year that MBS lands in Paris. Last summer, after bumping fists with US President Joe Biden in the city of Jeddah, the Saudi monarch began a tour of Europe with the aim of shedding the label of “international pariah” that has dragged on for five years. His first visit became “a working dinner” with Macron at the headquarters of the French Presidency.
So, in full energy crisis As a result of the war, the talks focused on oil prices and control of Iran’s nuclear program, then still the main regional rival of Saudi Arabia. Now, the context is quite different. This meeting comes just a month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise appearance at an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia to rally support.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
There, MBS offered to “carry out mediation efforts” between Russia and Ukraine and “support international efforts to resolve the crisis politically.” Previously, he had already acted as an intermediary in an exchange of foreign prisoners. In this sense, everything indicates that Macron will take advantage of this opportunity to pressure the Saudi prime minister to align himself with kyiv.
Throughout the conflict, Mohamed bin Salman has not taken sides. Rather, he has been playing a double game: while he tries to strengthen his ties with the West as well has strengthened its alliance with Putin in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in charge of deciding the production of crude oil.
According to Europa Press, the crown prince’s agenda also includes chairing the Saudi delegation during an international Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, which will take place on June 22 and 23, and participating in the kingdom’s official reception of the candidacy. from Riyadh to host Expo 2030 on June 19.
