France, Saudi Arabia shake hands on common Goal: Stability in Middle East

Paris, April 11: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who wrapped up his three-day visit at France mutually agreed on the need to curb Iranian “expansionism” in the Middle East, while also announcing a conference to boost humanitarian support for Yemen, where Riyadh is waging a bombing campaign.

Speaking alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a press conference as the latter wrapped up a three-day official visit, Macron called for “greater efforts to limit Iran’s ballistic activity and regional expansionism.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said, “This strategic vision means reducing all the projects of expansionist political Islam which could feed other forms of terrorism and destabilize the region,” Macron said of Riyadh’s regional rival.”

 

On Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has led an international military coalition since 2015 and waged a blockade that has sparked widespread condemnation, Macron stressed the need for “respect for the international humanitarian law.”

“We will continue to be extremely vigilant on this point,” he said while adding: “It is obvious that we will not tolerate any ballistic activity that threatens Saudi Arabia.”

“We can have the choice to stick to our traditional positions and we can decide that the first acts of modernization of his society are cosmetic. If we do that then we are leaving Prince Mohammed to face those in his area that think the opposite and decide to go backward and keep to a political Islam or terrorism,” he said.

Under the reforms closely associated with the crown prince, social restrictions have been loosened, such as bans on cinemas and women driving. He has promised to promote a more moderate form of Islam.