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Paris (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday, and the two leaders agreed to “strengthen their cooperation to meet the humanitarian needs” of Lebanon, according to a statement from the Elysée Palace.
The French presidency indicated that “the conversation focused above all on Lebanon, and the President of the Republic underlined the need to elect a president as soon as possible so that the program of structural reforms necessary for the recovery of the country is implemented”.
President Michel Aoun’s mandate ended on 31 October and a deeply divided parliament met five times without being able to elect a successor, as the country plunged into a deepening economic crisis.
The Elysee added that Macron “has agreed with the crown prince to continue and strengthen their cooperation to meet the humanitarian needs of the Lebanese people”.
The president of the Republic and the crown prince also spoke about the threats to the stability of the region, who “expressed their willingness to strengthen the strategic partnership that binds the two countries”.
Emmanuel Macron indicated that “Saudi Arabia can count on the support of France to guarantee its security”.
Finally, the two leaders expressed the desire to “strengthen the economic ties between their countries, especially in the field of energy”.
Macron will participate in the G20 summit in Bali on Sunday and the French presidency has not clarified whether he will meet Mohammed bin Salman during this meeting. US President Joe Biden has ruled out meeting Saudi Arabia’s powerful and controversial crown prince following the OPEC Plus coalition’s decision to cut oil production quotas.
© 2022 AFP
