French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Riyadh Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, after warning of an extremist backlash if Middle East peace talks do not commence soon. King Abdullah greeted Sarkozy late in the afternoon at King Khalid International Airport and the two leaders then headed for the King's Janadriya farm, some 43 kilometers from Riyadh. In a visit billed as more personal and aimed at tightening bonds, the two leaders are expected to review key regional political issues, with the impasse over Palestinian-Israeli peace talks at the top of the list. “The priority is to restart as soon as possible the peace process,” Sarkozy told Arabic language newspaper Al-Riyadh in an interview published Tuesday. “It is urgent because the current deadlock plays into the hands of extremists and each day the chance of peace is slipping away a little,” he said. Also on the agenda is a French-Saudi agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation, which officials on both sides say is pending final reviews and could be signed within a few months. “President Sarkozy's visit to Saudi Arabia, his third since 2008, is aimed more at strengthening personal bonds with King Abdullah,” an official told the Saudi Gazette. Sarkozy did not bring any of his ministers or delegates with him, apparently preferring an understated, personal approach to the discussions on the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program and bids by French companies for major Saudi development projects. Commenting on talks last week, Sarkozy told Al-Riyadh he called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt settlements and on Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to remain “committed” to 2010 elections. “The deadlock in which we find ourselves today is extremely worrying,” Sarkozy said. “But sometimes in these moments of great tensions solutions arise, because they give the actors the courage and strength to move forward. It is for us to help them,” Sarkozy added, citing in particular the United States, European Union and Russia. In 2008, Saudi Arabia and France signed four cooperation accords when President Sarkozy visited Saudi Arabia for the first time. The bilateral accords included cooperation on university education and on technical and professional training. About 800 Saudi students are currently studying on scholarships at French universities in areas such as medicine and liberal arts. According to sources, the visiting French delegation will present new proposals on training and scientific research to the Saudi authorities that could add a new dimension to the strategic partnership between the two countries. He is scheduled to leave Saudi Arabia Wednesday afternoon.
