Macron receives Saudi crown prince during visit to France
French President Emmanuel Macron received Saudi Crown Prince and the country's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman in Paris, who arrived for a two-day visit. On Sunday, they attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais in Paris, Korea Herald reports.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also present at the ceremony. Macron spoke with leading players and presented awards. The event brings together competitors in disciplines ranging from computer games to chess and is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time. Riyadh actively supports this tournament.
Talks and agreements
On Monday, Macron and Mohammed bin Salman are to chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council. A representative of the French presidential administration said that the sides plan to sign several agreements in healthcare, transport and energy.
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According to him, the situation surrounding Iran is likely to be discussed during the talks. The Élysée Palace stated that the leaders will consider key regional issues amid the need for close coordination between France and its partners in the Persian Gulf to strengthen stability and peace in the Middle East.
Statement by journalists' unions
Three French journalists' unions — SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes and SGJ-FO — opposed the reception of the Saudi crown prince in France. In a joint statement, they noted that an investigation into torture and enforced disappearance is ongoing in France following a complaint filed in 2021 in the case of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist with residency in the United States and a critic of Saudi Arabia's ruling family, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. According to US intelligence, Mohammed bin Salman was directly involved in the killing. A UN investigation described the journalist's death as an extrajudicial killing for which Saudi Arabia bears responsibility. The unions called the visit a provocation for defenders of media freedom and freedom of expression.
