This 14th day of July is marked by a new breath in France after the election of a new president of the Republic on May 16 and the designation of a new government on June 20, 2007.
The election of President Nicolas Sarkozy will indeed mark a new step in the relations between France and Saudi Arabia. The official visit to Paris of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on June 21 is a strong signal of the quality of the bonds between our two countries, at a time when the Middle East region crosses a period of tensions and great difficulties.
This first contact, which is also the first visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques since his accession to the throne, and only one month after the new president took office and a day after the forming of a new French government, was the occasion between the two leaders to exchange deep cordial and warm gestures.
It also revealed a mutual will to reinforce the existing strategic partnership between both states, in their common concern to promote objective and fair solutions to the regional and international issues.
President Sarkozy who intends to mark the continuity of the French policy in the Middle East, though maintaining trustful relations with the Arab governments and in particular with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a major player in the region, is convinced that France, in a reinforced Europe, must take part in the search of an awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace. This determination falls under a larger aspiration to build a Mediterranean Union, which will be a link between Europe and Africa.
The exchanges between France and Saudi Arabia although fruitful can still be improved, in particular, to face the challenges in the fields of training and education, a major focus in the center of discussions in Paris on June 21.
The technical cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia is currently in full expansion with the increase of Saudi scholarships in the French universities and major schools, in the fields of technologies, technical and professional teaching, architecture, archaeology, agronomy, science of water, political sciences, in the fields of geology, engineering, and finally and especially in the field of health.
The common dialogue and reflection between the two nations are consolidated with in mind to build for the future shared knowledge and culture.
Recently, Riyadh hosted the Eurogolfe Forum, with the participation of prominent political and academic personalities, as well as researchers and managers of international fame. Launched in 2003, the Eurogolfe network in political and social sciences research, under the control of the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, underlines the determination of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contribute to the training and formation of the Saudi elites.
Needless to say that our economic and commercial bilateral relations, while are developing and intensifying each year, are not up to the height of the excellence of our political relations. Let us guarantee that the new impetus of our bilateral relations will also result in a development of our exchanges in this field.
I seize the occasion of the French National Day, as I am on the verge of leaving Saudi Arabia after an enthralling three years diplomatic mission, to greet our Saudi partners.
I leave with the conviction that this country, which is bound to play a prominent role on the international scene, deserves to be better known. I hope for my part to have contributed to incite my fellow French compatriots to establish and reinforce their bonds with the Saudis and to come to live and work here.
With this in mind I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Saudi authorities for the measures they took after the tragedy on Feb. 26 where four French nationals were murdered in the west of the Kingdom, and pay tribute to the efforts deployed by the security forces to find the culprits.
Finally, I wish our many Saudi friends who requested visas with our embassy in Riyadh and our General Consulate in Jeddah, to enjoy their holidays in France where they are always welcome.
Charles-Henri D’Aragon
Ambassador of France