Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naifand French President Francois Hollande on Friday discussed “anti-terrorism” efforts and ways to boost security cooperation between the two countries.
The crown prince also held talks with Prime Minister Manuel Valls. They reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and the means to boost them in various fields.
Apart from this, they discussed the latest developments in the region and the two friendly countries’ stance towards them. They also discussed the means to achieve security, stability and peace in the region and cooperation between the two countries in combating extremism and terrorism of all forms.
Earlier, the crown prince also met with the French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday.
The two spoke of increasing military drills and cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France.
Hollande expressed Paris’s support to Saudi efforts to reinstate the internationally-recognized government in Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen attempted to topple the government of Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi last year. In late March, Saudi Arabia then led an Arab coalition to topple the Houthis and put Hadi’s government back in power.
France is a major trade partner of the Kingdom and is ranked eighth in 2012 among the top 10 countries exporting to the Kingdom, and it is also ranked 15th among the countries importing goods from the Kingdom. The volume of trade exchanges between the two countries doubled to reach more than 10 billion euros in 2014, up by 10 percent compared to the 2013.
France occupies third position among investors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its foreign direct investment equities are valued at $15.3 billion, while the value of Saudi investment in France is valued at 900 million euros.
Saudi-French relations could easily rank as one of the most solid in the world, with an increasingly aligned view on tackling political and security issues, which have been buttressed recently by high-level meetings between leaders of the two countries.
This shared view on regional issues has seen the Kingdom and France seeking a new government in Syria without the involvement of Bashar Al-Assad. Paris has always supported the revolution, and called for an end to the massacre of the Syrian people.
However, new realities are emerging with the involvement of Russia and Iran in the conflict, coupled with America’s diminishing role, which require new regional and international alliances that can ensure a positive outcome to the crisis. The feeling among many is that the only solution is a cease-fire and negotiated settlement. The alternative is a long and ugly civil war in Syria.
Saudi Arabia has taken significant steps to ensure the stability and security of the region as a whole, which includes the launch of Operation Decisive Storm.
France is considered a strategic partner because of its prominent status in Europe. This partnership will go a long way in bringing much-needed security and stability to the region.

Source: Saudi Gazette, 5 March 2016