French President François Hollande arrived in Riyadh for talks on regional issues in what a French diplomat told Reuters was an indication to the United States that the Saudi-French alliance was strong and getting stronger.
French President Francois Hollande tours a historic district in Riyadh.
According to Reuters, Hollande met Salman “for an hour after dinner at his personal palace on Monday, and the Saudi cabinet on Tuesday. The two men tackled Iran’s role in the conflicts in Yemen and Syria and reiterated that there was no future for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria after four years of civil war there…Hollande was to address Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders shortly to reassure them that France would not accept a bad deal with Iran as the powers try to meet a June 30 deadline.”
According to DefenseNews.com, Hollande was to be the first Western head of state to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council leaders’ meeting when they gather in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Hollande visited Qatar before Saudi Arabia, where he oversaw the signing of a large defense agreement between France and Qatar. He was accompanied by French Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian, and met with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani before traveling to Riyadh.
France wont be the only Western power represented at talks this week in Riyadh. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit the Saudi capital “for two days for wide-ranging consultations with his Gulf counterparts before going to Paris,” Arab News reports.
“Kerry’s talks with Saudi officials will focus on bilateral topics including issues related to the Saudi-led coalition, which is exerting efforts to restore peace in Yemen and to install the legitimate government in Saana. After Riyadh, Kerry will go to Paris to meet with other leaders including those from the Gulf countries to discuss security and other regional issues,” according to Arab News.
