French President Macron hosts Crown Saudi Prince, with energy and oil on the agenda
French President Macron hosts Crown Saudi Prince, with energy and oil on the agenda :
French President Macron hosts Crown Saudi Prince, with energy and oil on the agenda
On Thursday, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, hosts the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. The visit is part of the western effort to improve relations with a primary oil-producing state like Saudi Arabia. This is against the backdrop of the oil crisis that stemmed from the Ukraine war.
The Crown Prince received a warm welcome and, on Friday, thanked President Emmanuel Macron for the reception. In a statement released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the Crown Prince expressed his deep gratitude and pleasure for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to him and his accompanying delegation.
Why It Matters
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to France comes two weeks after similar talks were held in Saudi Arabia with Joe Biden. During his meeting with MBS, the president of the United States reaffirmed his alliance with the Middle East region. Amongst other things, Biden pushed for Israel-Arab normalization. There were also discussions to increase oil supplies to ensure global energy security.
It appears that the west is finding it necessary to rebuild relationships with Saudi Arabia, given the discouraging relations with countries like Iran, Russia and China. In addition, European countries like France are increasingly seeking to diversify their energy sources since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in the relationship between Moscow and other European countries turning sour. In response, Russia has cut gas supplies to Europe, resulting in a precarious energy situation. Thus, France and other European countries are hoping to get the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to raise production, given the country’s status as the world’s largest oil exporter. The current talks between MBS and Macron appear to be in the interest of this goal.
Thus, as confirmed by a French presidency official, the primary topics for discussion in the talks with MBS include oil production and the Iran nuclear deal. In addition, Maron has underlined the importance of coordinating with Saudi Arabia concerning diversifying the energy supplies of European countries. According to the French statement, another talking point for the discussion is food security, considering the fear of famines triggered by the loss of Ukraine.
Why Saudi Arabia is Important in the Current Energy Crisis.
The vice-president of the European Commission has recently warned that Europe is in danger of highly damaging conflict and strife over high energy prices. This simply illustrates just how extensive the effect of Russia’s gas supply cut has been. It is, no doubt, going to continue to be a difficult period for Europe until a measure is taken to ease the energy crisis.
With the desperate need for alternative fossil fuel sources, Saudi Arabia represents a possible solution. The Kingdom is one of the few global nations that has the capacity to increase its oil output. Certainly, much of Europe would be hoping the Kingdom makes that decision.
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Last Updated on 10 months by News Editor
