Editor’s Note:
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud led a delegation of officials to Paris for meetings with President Hollande and their counterparts to discuss bilateral relations including military sales and commercial opportunities as well as regional issues. The Saudi delegation included Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State, Cabinet’s Member and Chief of Crown Prince’s Court and Special Adviser; Minister of State and Cabinet’s Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban; Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohiuddin Khoja; Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Nizar bin Obaid Madani; Chief of General Staff General Abdulrahman bin Saleh Al-Bunyan and a number of senior officials.
Crown Prince Salman’s visit continues the new spirit of increased bilateral cooperation that was boosted by French President Hollande’s summit in Riyadh in December where the French leader met with King Abdullah. [See also: "Here Come the French" - SUSRIS - Dec 31, 2013]
Today we provide a compilation of Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reports on the visit of Crown Prince Salman to France including stories about the Crown Prince opening the “Invest in Saudi Arabia” exhibition in Paris, the Shura Council delegation meeting with French parliamentarians and the remarks of President Francois Hollande and Crown Prince Salman at a state dinner.
Crown Prince Salman: Saudi-French Relations Witness a Quantum Leap, Thanks to Political Leadership in both Countries
Paris, Dhu-AlQa’dah 07, 1435, September 02, 2014, SPA — Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, stressed that Saudi-French relations is currently witnessing a quantum leap, thanks to the keenness of the political leadership in each country to support and strengthen them in all areas and achieve the common interests of the two friendly countries.
He said that the status of France in the international arena, its economic leverage and pioneering in many advanced industries make it a strategic partner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This came in the Crown Prince’s speech during a meeting with French-Saudi businessmen which took part on the fringes of the current visit of the Crown Prince to France.
He gave an account on the Saudi economic development in the recent years, citing that the gross domestic product doubled over the last decade to 540 billion Euro, pushing the Kingdom to the world’s G20. Working hard to boost the country’s foreign reserves, the Kingdom hit a 500 billion euro target in the last few years, he said, adding that huge money was poured in the health, educational and transport infrastructure. Most recently, the Saudi stock market, the Middle East’s largest, opened doors for foreign investment, he added. Crown Prince Salman said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is generously supporting developing and underdeveloped countries, the international oil market and stock markets.
He stated that youths under 20 constitute more than 50% of the population of Saudi Arabia, demanding economic planners to expand development programs of direct touch with the public within the concepts of sustainable development, finance of small and medium enterprises, and diversification of energy sources etc. He cited that the establishment of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy was a result of this thinking.
He invited French businessmen to invest in the Kingdom, which he termed as among the most stable and invest-attractive countries in the world, citing that more than 70 French companies are now operating in the Kingdom in different fields.
He concluded that supporting the private sector is a pivotal policy of the Kingdom, hoping that the current and future cooperation between Saudi and French private sectors would yield a systematic transfer of French advanced technology to the Kingdom.
– SPA
Salman visit to France
French President receives Crown Prince and holds dinner party in his honor
Paris, Dhu-AlQa’dah 07, 1435, September 02, 2014, SPA — President Francois Hollande of the Republic of France received at Elysee Palace in Paris yesterday Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense currently on an official visit to the Republic of France.
Upon arrival at the palace, the French President welcomed the Crown Prince, who reviewed the guard of honor. After that, the French President accompanied the Crown Prince to the main reception hall.
At the beginning of the reception, the French President welcomed the Crown Prince and his accompanying delegation, wishing them a pleasant stay in France, while the Crown Prince expressed his pleasure over visiting France and the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to them.
The Crown Prince conveyed the greetings and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the French President, who sent his greetings and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
They reviewed the relations of cooperation between the two friendly countries, ways of enhancing them in all fields, the latest developments at the regional and international arenas and the positions of the two countries towards them.
Then, the French President held a dinner party in honor of the Crown Prince and his accompanying delegation.
During the dinner banquet, the French president delivered a speech in which he said:
‘Your royal highness, I am honored to receive you today at Elysee Palace. Your highness is a friend of France. During my visit to Riyadh last year, you told that your first visit abroad was to Paris in 1951 AD. Since then, you have not stopped expressing your attachment to our country during practicing of your responsibilities in all the positions you have assumed. Your Highness is one of builders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You have offered invaluable contribution to the Kingdom in its current status”.
He explained that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia constitutes a distinguished partner to France. Bonds of this alliance were strengthened at Elysee Palace when His Majesty the late King Faisal visited General De Gaulle in 1967. Time and succession of power have not destabilized the relations between the two countries since then.
He hailed the intent of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is known to all for his wisdom and insight, to increase rapprochement between France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the intensification of exchange between them in many fields.
The French President said:
‘Our priority is to establish peace and security in the Middle East which has become necessary now more than ever as the Syrian crisis moved to Iraq and there is a terrorist movement that claims to have established a state. France has decided to help Iraq at both humanitarian and security levels. But, this support can not be effective without speedily forming a government that represents all sects in order to avoid the fragmentation of the country. As for Syria, France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been clear concerning the seriousness of the crisis. Our two countries have called on the international community to intervene, but their call has not always been met. They support those fighting the dual brutality of Bashar Al-Assad and the terrorists at the time.’
With regard to the Middle East, he said that France supports the Arab Peace Initiative which was introduced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the year 2002 AD, looking forward to working together to revitalize it.
He said:
‘Our political cooperation is very strong. It has been strengthened by a very valuable military cooperation. Our two armies have conducted operational activities for a long time in decisive areas to the security of the Kingdom. I would like to extend my thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the confidence it attaches to French experience and technologies with regard to its own defense and also to the defense of the countries of the region. This trust and cooperation are manifested in Lebanon, where we prepare for together providing it with equipment needed by Lebanon in order to achieve security of its territory and safety of all its sects.
The French President stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a great country which has been able to harness its resources in the service of an ambitious building project. French establishments are fully participating in the development of the Kingdom. They are present in the fields of energy, services, health and transport. He added that France also wants to receive the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s competencies and establish partnerships with its establishments, praising the decision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to increase Saudi investments in France. He said, ‘We have identified together opportunities in several great strategic areas. I would like to be able to implement them quickly.’
He said,
‘The links that bind us are political, economic and financial, but they are also humanitarian as several thousand French citizens go every year to the holy places in Makkah and Madinah. In addition, Institute of the Arab World has recently hosted a beautiful exhibition about Hajj which I myself launched. It enjoyed a resounding success and turnout from the audience. Saudis also love France and as its capital Paris where many of them reside on a regular basis. We are also pleased to receive a growing number of students in the our universities with the opening of each academic year. France knows the value of friendship; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the dearest friends.’
Then Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense delivered the following speech:
Your Excellency President Francois Hollande,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased at the outset of my speech to express my deep appreciation to Your Excellency and the Government of the Republic of France for the warm welcome and generous hopitality accorded to me and the accompanying delegation, expressing my personal pleasure to meet our friends in this friendly country.
I am honored to convey the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Your Excellency, the Government and the friendly people of France.
My current visit comes within the framework of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to strengthen the strategic partnership existing between our two friendly countries, since its foundations were laid in the historical meeting which brought together the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the late French President Charles de Gaulle here in Paris in 1967. The historical visit was also paid by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to France in 2007 and the visit of Your Excellency to the Kingdom in 2013 which played a major role in the development of relations between the Kingdom and France and their development in all fields in the service of issues of security and peace in the Middle East region and the world.
Your Excellency President:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is aware of the global status of France, which occupied by virtue of its cultural heritage, political role and economic leverage.
We also appreciate your government for its efforts to achieve peace and stability in our region which lives, alas, in a cycle of successive crises of which their implications inflicted the regional stability and world peace.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has consistently embodied, through its communication with friends, its commitment to Islamic principles and values of tolerance, brotherhood, justice, call for dialogue, rejection of extremism, violence and fight against terrorism.
The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has early realized the dangerous phenomenon of terrorism on the international community where it called for an international conference to combat terrorism that held in Riyadh in 2005. Also, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has called to establish an international center to combat terrorism to be part of international efforts to strengthen the fight against terrorism and ordered the donation of one hundred million dollars to activate this center and in this regard, we, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hope that the peace-loving nations would hurry up to contribute effectively to supporting this center to be an active focus and a basic pillar of international cooperation to combat this scourge, which threatens the security and stability in the world.
Your Excellency Friend and Esteemed Audience:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has attached and is still attaching a great importance to the Palestinian cause as the key issue in the Middle East. The peace initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has come to be the Arab Peace Initiative to confirm this interest which included foundations and pillars of a just solution to the Palestinian issue, which avoids the Palestinian people the scourge of war and harsh sufferings, achieves their legitimate aspirations and establishes their independent State, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.
In this regard, we emphasize here that the brutal devastating aggression inflicted on the unarmed Palestinian people in Gaza is not approved by international charters and principles, and condemned by all laws. We urge the international community to hold its responsibilities to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people from the repeated Israeli aggressions.
In Syria, we called on implementing the decisions of (Geneva 1) Conference and its provisions to form a transitional governing body with full executive powers.
In Lebanon, we hope to be agreed on a President who can combine together all the parties, and enable Lebanon to overcome its current crisis.
We, in the Kingdom, have welcomed the consensus in Iraq and choosing of their leaders, wishing them success in forming a government of national unity to be keen on Iraq’s unity, security, stability and territorial integrity.
With regard to the Yemeni affair, we express our deep concern over the deteriorating security situation and all actions aimed at undermining the political process that is based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Arab States initiative and we hope the prevailing of security and stability in Yemen, and commitment to legitimacy and resolutions issued by the Security Council in this regard.
We support all of these initiatives and political attitudes by humanitarian and developmental aid, and a serious desire to achieve peace, security and political stability in the region’s countries.
Your Excellency Mr. President:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has realized its role in the Group of Twenty (G20) and tirelessly done its efforts to the recovery of global economy after the crisis experienced by it, through increasing spending on infrastructure, supporting regional and international development funds and taking a moderate approach to secure the stability of oil market in the interest of the producers and consumers. The Kingdom has also held its responsibilities at the time of crisis in providing oil supplies and realizing its role and responsibilities towards the global economy.
In conclusion, let me reiterate my thanks and appreciation for what I have received and the accompanying delegation of generous hospitality and warm reception in your friendly country, with my best wishes of further progress and prosperity to the Government and friendly people of France.
The audience and dinner banquet were attended Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State, Cabinet’s Member and Chief of Crown Prince’s Court and Special Adviser; Minister of State and Cabinet’s Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban; Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohiuddin Khoja; Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Nizar bin Obaid Madani; Chief of General Staff General Abdulrahman bin Saleh Al-Bunyan and a number of senior officials.
On the French side, they were attended by Prime Minister Manuel Valls; Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius; Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian; Minister of Economy, Industry and the Digital Sector, Emmanuel Macronand; and France’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bertrand Besancenot.
–SPA
Crown Prince Salman Meets with Prime Minister of France
Paris, Dhu-AlQa’dah 07, 1435, September 02, 2014, SPA — Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, paid a visit here today to French Prime Minister Emmanuel Valls.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the two countries in all fields, in addition to the latest developments in the Middle East.
The Meeting was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet, Chief of Crown Prince’s Court and the Special Adviser to the Crown Prince; Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet; Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohiuddin Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information; Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Dr. Nizar bin Obaid Madani, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Gen. Abdulrahman bin Saleh Al-Bunyan, Chief of General Staff; Dr. Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, Saudi Ambassador to France; and a number of officials.
– SPA
Delegation of the Shura Council meets with French parliamentarians
Paris, Dhu-AlQa’dah 07, 1435, September 02, 2014, SPA — A delegation of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by Osama Ali Al-Gabbani, member of Majlis Ashura and Head of the Saudi side in the Saudi French Parliamentary Friendship Committee, met with their French counterparts in the committee here today.
During the meeting, which coincides with the visit of Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, to France, they exchanged view points on a number of issues that enhance parliamentary diplomacy.
The delegation consists of Dr. Huda Al-Halees, Dr. Mastourah Al-Shammari, Dr. Sami Zaidan, Dr. Fahd Al-Enzy and Dr. Abdullah Naseef.
–SPA
Crown Prince Salman Opens ‘Invest in Saudi Arabia’ Exhibition in Paris
Paris, Dhu-AlQa’dah 07, 1435, September 02, 2014, SPA — Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, opened today the exhibition held in Paris under the title ‘Invest in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia’.
During the opening ceremony, the Crown Prince was shown pictures that reflect the economic growth in Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The fair highlights the numerous investment opportunities enriching the Saudi economy and aims at enabling French investment companies to have at hand chance of the promising capabilities in Saudi Arabia, etc transport, health, transformative industries, energy, information technology and communications.
– SPA
Read more on this topic:
Crown Prince Salman receives French Defense Minister – SaudiGazette – Sep 4, 2014
France and Saudi Arabia edge closer to massive arms deal for Lebanon – France24 – Sep 3, 2014
SAGIA plays effective role in boosting Saudi-French trade – Arab News – Sep 3, 2014
France and Saudis ‘finalising’ $3bn Lebanon arms deal: Official – AFP – Sep 1, 2014
Saudi Crown Prince to hold meetings with French President – aawsat.net – Sep 1, 2014
Salman – Hollande talks to focus on Mideast turmoil – Arab News – Sep 1, 2014
“Here Come the French” – SUSRIS – Dec 31, 2013