Fabius arrives for key talks

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will hold talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who arrived here late Saturday, said Patrick Durel, spokesman at the French Embassy.
The French foreign minister, during his talks with high-ranking Saudi officials, will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues with special focus on the Yemen crisis, said Durel.
He said that Fabius would meet with Crown Prince Muqrin, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Naif, interior minister; and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman the defense minister.
Fabius is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud Al-Faisal, he added.
The spokesman said that Prince Saud and Fabius would also address a joint press conference here on Sunday.
France has lent strong support to Operation Decisive Storm.
The two countries are closely working to boost cooperation in the field of intelligence and equipment deployed by the forces.
Fabius, who will meet Ibrahim Al-Assaf, the finance minister, and Ali Al-Naimi, minister of petroleum and mineral resources, to take stock of bilateral ties and the regional situation, while voicing support for the legitimate Hadi-led government in Yemen.
The French foreign minister will also hold talks with Hashim Abdullah Yemani, chief of KACARE, the entity responsible for civilian nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia.
Fabius, on his first visit to Saudi Arabia since the accession of King Salman, is expected to reiterate his commitment to the friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.
“Fabius and his interlocutors will discuss the various crises in the Middle East and will endeavor to strengthen bilateral ties in every area, particularly in the economic and commercial spheres,” said a statement released by the French ministry of foreign affairs.
France has strongly condemned the destabilizing actions of the Houthi rebels and calls on their supporters to immediately disassociate themselves from the rebels and to return to the political process.
“In the face of this troubling situation, France stands alongside its partners in the region in their efforts to restore Yemen’s stability and unity,” said the statement further said.