Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman engaged in a phone conversation on Wednesday to discuss regional and international matters, with a focus on efforts to achieve security and stability.
According to Anadolu Agency, Macron and bin Salman also reviewed the friendship and cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia, exploring opportunities to enhance their relationship in a manner that serves mutual interests, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In a related development, Macron indicated that France might recognize the state of Palestine in June during an international conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia. He expressed this intention earlier in the day during an interview broadcast on France 5, stating, “We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months.”
The proposed conference, focused on implementing the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is expected to be held in New York and could represent a pivotal moment. Macron elaborated on the objective, saying, “Our goal is to chair this conference (on Palestine) with Saudi Arabia sometime in June, where we could finalize this movement of mutual recognition by several parties.”