Jacques Serais, edited by Thibault Nadal 6:48 p.m., July 28, 2022
Emmanuel Macron is hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for dinner on Thursday, his first visit to Europe since the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.
A visit that arouses a lot of controversy.
Two associations have already announced that they are filing a complaint against "MBS".
It is a visit that is highly controversial.
Emmanuel Macron receives from this Thursday the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed ben Salmane, at the Élysée.
This visit is disturbing, because "MBS" is directly quoted in the investigation into the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, this journalist killed and dismembered in October 2018. The American intelligence services had then pointed the responsibility of the crown prince.
Convince Saudi Arabia to open the floodgates
But for Emmanuel Macron, this visit must above all convince Saudi Arabia to open the floodgates, because this country is the leading exporter of crude oil and the only state capable of offering two to three million barrels of oil on the markets every day.
This is what Europe needs, when it deprived itself of this quantity by sanctioning Russia.
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“It is not a question of calling into question our commitment to human rights”
On the move this Thursday, Elisabeth Borne wanted to respond to the two associations which filed a complaint against Mohammed ben Salmane and assumes: "It is obviously not a question of putting aside our principles. It is not a question of questioning our commitment to human rights. But on the other hand, it is normal and I think that the French would not understand in a context where we know that the Russian couple is threatening to cut and re-cut the gas supply, or we there are tensions on energy prices, which we do not discuss with the countries which are precisely energy producers”, she explained.
Macron "will address the issue of human rights" with "MBS"
This Thursday evening, the Élysée indicates that Emmanuel Macron will address the issue of human rights with Mohammed ben Salmane, but at the same time explains that if we want to tackle the consequences of the energy and food crises, the only way is to talk with the main players.