Senior French diplomat calls on Iran to be ‘responsible neighbor’

RIYADH: A veteran French diplomat, Bertrand Besancenot, who has been promoted as the “diplomatic adviser” to the French government, will leave Riyadh later next week after completing more than nine years of his diplomatic tour in Saudi Arabia.

Arab News caught up with the long serving Ambassador Besancenot at the embassy and asked him to share his experiences and fond memories about the Kingdom.
Besancenot, who was very popular among his Saudi friends as well as among the members of the French diaspora in Saudi Arabia during his tenure as ambassador, said that “it was a beautiful and wonderful experience (being in the Kingdom), especially because I served for nine years in a country which I like most.”
The French envoy, in his farewell interview, also touched on key bilateral and regional issues.
Referring to the intransigence of Iran, Besancenot called on Tehran to be “a responsible neighbor,” especially now when major world powers endorsed a nuclear deal with Iran. He also criticized Iran “for meddling in the affairs of the Gulf states, and for playing politics on religious issues like Haj.”
“Haj is a religious duty and there is no room for mixing politics with Haj ritual and Islam,” he added.
He further said that the Kingdom and France have had similar positions on key regional issues including Yemen, Libya and Syria. “Both countries support legitimacy,” said the diplomat, while referring to the turmoil in the Middle East and the multipolar world at large.
He also spoke high about “Saudi Vision 2030, under which the Kingdom can exploit its assets and resources for building a solid economy.”
He added that his interaction with the Saudi leadership, officials and ordinary Saudi nationals was always cordial.
“I have made many friends among Saudis, expatriates and among Riyadh-based foreign diplomats,” said the envoy.
Besancenot, who traveled extensively in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, said that he is leaving the Kingdom with “great satisfaction and rich experiences.”
“I am happy that I was in a position to be able to contribute qualitatively to enhance French-Saudi relations,” said the outgoing diplomat.
On tourism and the business front, the French envoy said that the Kingdom and France have forged closer ties. He pointed out that France ranks as the second largest destination for tourists with a total number of visitors to that country annually exceeding 220,000.
On the commercial front, he said that the trade between Riyadh and Paris has been progressively growing. Trade between the two countries amounted to 10 billion euros annually.
“France is also the third biggest investor in the Kingdom,” said the diplomat, adding that the two country has had strong strategic ties especially in the fields of defense, the economy, politics and culture.