Saudi Arabia – Conversation between Jean-Noël Barrot and his Saudi counterpart (February 13, 2025)

On February 13, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot spoke with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

The two ministers hailed the prospects created by the Paris AI Action Summit. They underscored their shared desire to expand French-Saudi cooperation in this area in order to promote trustworthy, safe and secure AI to the benefit of all. They also discussed projects aimed at strengthening economic and business ties between Europe and the Gulf.

Next they spoke about the situation in Gaza. They agreed on the importance of respecting the ceasefire, releasing the hostages as swiftly as possible and reopening the crossing points to allow for a massive influx of humanitarian aid – actions leading to a political solution based on the two-State solution. In this regard, they emphasized the importance of the Conference to restore political momentum to the two-State solution that Saudi Arabia will co-chair with France in the coming months. The Minister reiterated France’s strong opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population in Gaza.

The two Ministers also addressed the situation in Lebanon. They commended the formation of the new government and reaffirmed their full support for the implementation of reforms to ensure the country’s stability, security and prosperity. The Minister emphasized the need to respect the ceasefire agreement. He talked about France commitments in this regard, including its efforts within the UNIFIL framework.

Lastly, the two Ministers discussed the situation in Syria. They agreed on the importance of supporting a just and inclusive political transition that fulfills the aspirations of the Syrian people and respects the rights of all Syrians, in keeping with the goals of today’s Paris Conference on Syria.