Saudi's MBS heads to France, Macron seeks shift on Ukraine

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was on Wednesday heading to France where he will meet President Emmanuel Macron, with Paris seeking intensified support from the oil-rich kingdom for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

Macron's office said the two would speak on Friday over lunch at the president's Elysee Palace, adding that they would discuss "especially the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the rest of the world".

The de-facto ruler, known widely as "MBS", is no stranger to France, owning the opulent Chateau Louis XIV near Versailles outside Paris, a modern building that seeks to replicate the look of French imperial palaces.

The prince's stay in France could last some days, with MBS also due to attend a Paris summit on a New Global Financing Pact hosted by Macron on June 22-23.

On Monday, he will also attend an official Saudi reception for Riyadh's candidacy to host Expo 2030.

- Shadow of Khashoggi murder -

The trip underlines already close French ties with the resource-rich Gulf nation.

Prince Mohammed had already discussed the Ukraine conflict face-to-face with Macron on his last official visit to Paris in July 2022.

The pair said then that they wanted to cooperate to "limit the effects" on other countries from Russia's invasion of its neighbour.

The 37-year-old prince, who is overseeing sweeping social and economic reforms, also faces criticism over rights in Saudi Arabia and Macron will again be under pressure for these issues to feature prominently in the talks.

In December 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia since Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside Riyadh's Istanbul consulate in 2018.

The killing of Khashoggi was described by a UN probe as an "extrajudicial killing for which Saudi Arabia is responsible".

US intelligence agencies determined that MBS had "approved" the operation that led to Khashoggi's death. Riyadh denies this, blaming rogue operatives.

MBS' 2022 visit to Paris was criticised by France's left-wing opposition and human rights defenders, who accused Macron of abandoning principles to butter up Riyadh as energy prices soared in Europe after the Ukraine invasion.

- 'Regional stability' -

Macron has a declared aim of convincing non-aligned countries to pressure Moscow to end its war on Ukraine.

He lent a French government jet to President Volodymyr Zelensky in May so the Ukrainian leader could join the G7 meeting in Japan as well as attend an Arab League summit.

Macron said afterwards that Zelensky received "very clear support from Saudi Arabia and several powers" in the Gulf region, calling the trip "a real turning point".

The Elysee said Macron and MBS would also discuss "questions of regional stability" -- likely including the crisis in Lebanon, where Saudi Arabia enjoys strong influence and France hopes to prod the country out of its political deadlock.

Beirut lawmakers' failure on Wednesday to elect a new president is an opportunity for Macron and MBS "to see where things stand and how to move forward," said Denis Bauchard, a Middle East expert at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

"The question is whether reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran could help calm down Lebanon's politics," he added, suggesting Tehran could play a role through its influence on the Hezbollah movement.

Other factors that could be on the leaders' lunch menu include Iran's possible role in calming fighting in Yemen and the dangers of Tehran's nuclear programme, Bauchard said.

Saudi's diplomatic ties and deep pockets will also be in demand for the New Financing Pact summit, which the Elysee says aims to "bring together private and public financing where it is most needed by people and the planet" -- such as fighting climate change and poverty and protecting biodiversity.

AFP