PARIS: France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrives today in Riyadh as part of a regional tour that will take him to Doha, Abu Dhabi, and then Muscat, where he will conclude his trip on Friday.
This visit comes at a time when the Middle East is being shaken by conflicts, regional rivalries, and strategic realignments — an environment that is prompting Paris to redefine its place and role in the region.
Through a series of recent diplomatic exchanges, French diplomacy is signaling a clear ambition: to strengthen its partnerships with Gulf countries and adapt its instruments of influence in order to contribute to a more stable security architecture.
According to Paris, the central pillar of this strategy is to reinforce a shared approach with Gulf countries and enhance coordination in response to ongoing tensions, particularly those linked to Iran, with the aim of developing a common understanding of threats and crafting sustainable responses.
Shifting regional balances
Within this framework, the stability of Lebanon remains a priority, Paris maintains, viewing the country — fragilized by repeated crises — as emblematic of the risks of a broader regional collapse.
At the same time, Paris underscores a key reality: regional balances are shifting, and Gulf countries, deeply affected by recent conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza, will not emerge unscathed.
Their needs are evolving, as are their expectations. For Paris, the objective is no longer simply to maintain existing alliances, but to transform them.
In this context, defense partnerships in particular must be rethought in light of new forms of warfare, including the widespread use of drones, the integration of artificial intelligence, and hybrid conflicts, all of which are redefining the rules of engagement.
France intends to remain a leading partner — not by immediately renegotiating agreements, but by gradually adapting them. It is still too early to revise the texts, but it is clear that needs are no longer the same, diplomatic sources note.
Another priority for French diplomacy is securing economic and energy flows. The issue of freedom of movement — particularly in sensitive areas such as the Strait of Hormuz — has come back to the forefront.
To mitigate risks, Paris is advocating for the diversification of trade routes. The IMEC project — a corridor linking India, the Middle East, and Europe — fits within this approach.
Several variants are under consideration, potentially passing through Syria, Jordan, Egypt, or Lebanon. The goal, French diplomacy emphasizes, is not to make an immediate decision, but to build a shared roadmap with regional and European partners.
France is not acting alone. While it has been particularly active — especially as a Mediterranean power — it is part of a broader dynamic within the EU, based on a shared realization: economic security requires stronger supply chain resilience.
Multidimensional French support for Lebanon
On the diplomatic front, attention also remains focused on negotiations between Iran and the US. Although dialogue has not been severed, talks are struggling to make progress.
The sticking points are well known: uranium enrichment, sanctions relief, and the management of nuclear stockpiles — sensitive issues that continue to fuel regional uncertainty.
For now, discussions continue remotely, without any decisive breakthrough. In this complex landscape, Lebanon remains a central issue for Paris.
French support is intended to be multidimensional: humanitarian, military, diplomatic, and economic. Several tens of millions of euros have already been mobilized to assist populations, while increased support for the Lebanese army is under consideration.
However, the question of Hezbollah illustrates the full ambiguity of the situation. France has hardened its position, now describing its military actions as terrorism (following the deaths of two French soldiers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, the peacekeeping body known as UNIFIL), and supporting the principle that the Lebanese state should hold a monopoly on arms.
At the same time, it does not deny a political reality: Hezbollah remains an unavoidable actor in Lebanon’s landscape.
Finally, Paris emphasizes one point: its strategy is not driven by rivalry with the US. The aim is not to replace Washington, but to offer a complementary approach.
Gulf countries are best placed to choose their partners, Paris asserts, and France simply intends to remain a credible actor. The French approach is grounded in the belief that, in a fragmented Middle East, only a collective strategy can ensure lasting stability — and that inaction is no longer an option.
