Upon the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met at the Elysée Palace Thursday with President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic.

The Minister of Defense conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the French President, while President Macron extended his greetings and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince.

During the meeting, bilateral relations were also reviewed, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The meeting was attended by Director General of the Defense Minister’s Office Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and several other officials.

Earlier, the French Minister of Armed Forces received the visiting Saudi Minister on Wednesday at the national military museum of France (Les Invalides) in Paris.

An official reception was held in honor of Prince Khalid bin Salman in the Ceremonial Square, during which the guard of honor was passed in review and the national anthems were played.

The two Ministers then held an official discussion during which they reviewed the strategic relations between the two countries, military and defense cooperation and ways to enhance and develop it, as well as their countries’ common vision for the security and stability of the region. The two sides also discussed the latest regional and international developments.

Following the discussions, a draft executive plan for cooperation in military industries, and research and development was signed by the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France.

Furthermore, the Saudi Minister of Defense held a meeting in Paris Wednesday with several heads of leading French industrial companies as part of his official visit to the Republic of France.

During the meeting, they reviewed promising cooperation opportunities in the field of military industries, Research and Development (R&D), as well as technology transfer and localization in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The meeting was attended by a number of officials.