IS terror tops agenda of Saudi-French talks    

PARIS: 2 September 2014

Threat posed by Islamic State (IS) militants, who have seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, tops the agenda of Saudi-French talks.

Crown Prince Salman arrived in Paris Monday on a landmark visit for talks with President Francois Hollande and other French leaders.

The visit aims to further strengthen relations between the two countries.

The crown prince’s talks with Hollande would also focus on boosting military cooperation, according to political analysts.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has warned world leaders that terrorists would hit their countries unless they take “rapid” action to eliminate it. “If we ignore them, I am sure they will reach Europe in a month and America in another month,” the king said while receiving foreign diplomats in Jeddah on Friday.

On Thursday, Hollande rejected any cooperation with Bashar Assad, whom he accused of being a “de-facto ally” of IS militants, after his regime said it was willing to work with the international community to tackle the terrorist group.

“The historic visit to Paris paid by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in 2007 has contributed immensely to taking Saudi-French ties to new heights,” the crown prince said in an arrival statement.

Hollande will host a dinner at the Elysee presidential palace in honor of the Saudi crown prince, who is due to meet Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday for talks on major regional and international issues.

The crown prince is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja and Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.

“This visit comes within the framework of developing bilateral cooperation and strengthening the level of coordination on regional and international issues of mutual concern,” Prince Salman said while commending “the best ever” relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Abdullatif Al-Othman, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), will open an investment exhibition in Paris on Tuesday with the participation of 15 government agencies to woo French investment to the Kingdom. SAGIA hoped that the exhibition would attract a large number of French companies interested to invest in Saudi Arabia. “The show reflects the Kingdom’s desire to expand its economic and investment ties with France,” it added.