On 23 August, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will begin a two-day visit to France to discuss developments in Iran and the situation in the Middle East with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The French Presidential Palace has stated that Macron and bin Salman will discuss “key regional issues”; according to Paris, these talks, given the current circumstances, require close coordination between France and its partners in the Gulf states to strengthen stability and peace in the Middle East.
On 24 August, bin Salman and Macron will also chair the first meeting of the Saudi Arabia–France Strategic Partnership Council. A number of agreements in the fields of healthcare, transport and energy are also expected to be signed during the visit.
Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the US with a long history of tense relations with Iran, is closely monitoring developments in the region.