The French Embassy in Beirut distributed on Sunday the joint statement on the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, issued by the Elysee Palace this afternoon.

The statement said: “Building on the strong relations of friendship and cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France, President Emmanuel Macron visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on December 4, 2021. The President of the French Republic was received by His Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, at the Royal Peace Palace in Jeddah. They held official talks, during which they reviewed the historical and strategic relations between the Saudi Kingdom and France in all fields. They stressed the importance of strengthening joint action and pushing bilateral relations towards closer and constructive cooperation based on trust and common interests to promote the bilateral strategic partnership to new and promising horizons.”

“The two sides praised the positive and fruitful results achieved since the visit of His Royal Highness, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense to France in 2018, which contributed to the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in various fields,” the statement went on.

Economically, the statement said that “both two sides praised the strength of the economic relations between the two countries, and agreed on the importance of deepening the economic partnership, enhancing the participation of the private sector, exchanging experiences, developing human capabilities, and taking advantage of the opportunities arising from the Kingdom's ‘Vision 2030’ and the economic plan of ‘France 2030’ in various sectors of mutual interest.”

Referring to regional and international issues, the statement said that the two sides highlighted the importance of strengthening and consolidating French-Saudi cooperation and coordinating their positions on issues of common interest in order to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and the world at large; in addition to confronting policies and interferences that destabilize security and regional and international stability. “The two sides commended the importance of the Baghdad Summit, which was held in August 2021, in order to enhance stability in Iraq and encourage regional dialogue,” the statement said.

It added: “The two sides also stressed their determination to make more joint unremitting efforts to stand in the face of terrorism and extremism in all its local, regional and international forms and to combat its financing. They agreed to enhance their technical and operational cooperation in combating terrorism and organized crime.”

At the Lebanese level, the statement indicated that “the two sides stressed the need for the Lebanese government to implement comprehensive reforms, especially the commitment to implement the Taif Agreement entrusted with national unity and civil peace in Lebanon, and for said reforms to include the sectors of finance, energy, anti-corruption and border control. The two sides agreed to work with Lebanon to ensure the implementation of these measures. They stressed the need to limit arms to legitimate state institutions, and that Lebanon should not be a platform for any terrorist acts that destabilize the region's security and stability, and a source of drug trafficking. They emphasized the significance of strengthening the role of the Lebanese army in maintaining the security and stability of Lebanon.”

Also at Lebanon’s level, the statement added: “They agreed to establish a French-Saudi humanitarian aid mechanism within a framework that guarantees complete transparency and demonstrates their determination to find appropriate mechanisms to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people, in cooperation with friendly and allied countries. They underlined the importance of maintaining Lebanon's stability and respecting its sovereignty and unity, in accordance with Security Council Resolutions (1559), (1701) and (1680) and the relevant international resolutions.”