Saudi Crown Prince to discuss Ukraine war with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris

Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in France as he seeks support for the kingdom's World Expo 2030 bid

French President Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace in Paris last year. SPA

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will discuss the war in Ukraine and other international challenges with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.

The two leaders will speak about the consequences of the conflict for the rest of the world, as well as bilateral relations and “regional stability issues”, a source in the French presidency told The National.

“The President of the French Republic will have a working lunch with Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Friday June 16, 2023, at the Elysee Palace, as part of his official visit to France,” the source said.

Prince Mohammed began an official visit to France on Wednesday, where he met various French leaders to also discuss the kingdom's bid to host the World Expo 2030.

The meeting in the French capital follows the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Saudi Arabia last month to attend an Arab League summit.

Mr Zelenskyy called for support and Prince Mohammed expressed his readiness to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

Prince Mohammed is also heading a delegation that will take part in a global financial summit in Paris on June 22 and June 23.

Mr Macron and Prince Mohammed's discussions will "prepare the ground for the summit that aims to bring together private and public funding where the planet and the populations need it most, whether to fight poverty, drive the necessary climate transition or protect biodiversity", the French presidency source said.

Saudi Arabia announced its bid to host the Expo in October 2021 and has since made three presentations to the Bureau International des Expositions.

In March, a BIE delegation arrived in Riyadh for a six-day evaluation of Riyadh's candidacy.

The mission's visit is mandatory for a country to be considered as host. Its task is to assess the feasibility and viability of each candidate city.

The next host city will be elected via secret ballot, based on the principle of one country, one vote, at the BIE's 173rd general assembly in November.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and France are strong, with cultural ties deepened by Paris's involvement in the development of the kingdom's historic AlUla region.

Prince Mohammed intends to turn AlUla into a global tourism destination.