France's President
Nicolas Sarkozy (L) holds talks with Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdul
Aziz Al Saud (M) in Riyadh, Jan. 13, 2008. Sarkozy arrived in Saudi
Arabia for a two-day official visit.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in the Saudi capital on
Sunday to start his first tour to the Gulf region since coming into
office, which will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab
Emirates.
Sarkozy was greeted at the airport by Saudi King Abdullah bin
Abdel-Aziz. The two leaders will later discuss bilateral ties and
regional issues, including the Iranian nuclear issue and the Middle
East peace process.
Sarkozy-Abdullah talks will also cover ongoing negotiations on
arms sales including secure communication equipment, reconnaissance
aircrafts, radar networks and helicopters, according to French
defense industry sources.
France's President
Nicolas Sarkozy (L) is welcomed by King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al
Saud (C) and his brothers Crown Prince Sultan (2nd R) and Prince
Salman at Riyadh airport Jan. 13, 2008. Sarkozy arrived in Riyadh
for a two-day official visit.
Four agreements are lined-up to be signed in Riyadh on Sunday,
according to the French presidential office, which indicates that
the accords will include "the institutionalization of political
consultations, dialogue on energy issues, enhancement of university
training opportunities for Saudi students in France as well as the
development of professional training."
Of the three-nation visits, only the visit to Qatar is a state
visit, the other two being official visits, the French presidential
office said on Friday.
But the three visits have a common objective, which is "to
reaffirm the friendship of France with these three countries," the
presidential office said.
On Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, France and the United Arab Emirates are
expected to sign an intergovernmental agreement setting the
framework for cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear
energy.
(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2008)
