FRENCH MINISTER OF DEFENSE MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE CONFIRMED TODAY THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA ARE STRONG, FIRM AND DEEP-ROOTED, DESCRIBING THE KINGDOM AS A FRIEND OF FRANCE AND A STRATEGIC PARTNER WHO ENJOYS BASIC IMPORTANCE. IN A PRESS STATEMENT UPON DEPARTING JEDDAH TODAY, SHE EXPRESSED PLEASURE OF HER VISIT TO THE KINGDOM, NOTING THAT WHEN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION IS TENSE, WE TALK TO OUR FRIENDS IN SAUDI ARABIA TO EXCHANGE VIEW POINTS AND TRY TO WORK TOGETHER TO COOL DOWN TENSIONS AND SOLVE CRISES. SHE SAID SHE DELIVERED A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC OF FRANCE TO THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ. SHE SAID TALKS WITH THE SAUDI SIDE DEALT WITH THE SITUATION IN LEBANON, NOTING THAT FRANCE HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT DIPLOMATIC ROLE IN REACHING THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON LEBANON THAT PUT AN END TO FIGHTING AND WOULD ENABLE LEBANON TO RESTORE ITS SOVEREIGNTY AND THAT FRANCE WOULD PLAY A PIVOTAL MILITARY ROLE IN THE UN FORCES IN LEBANON. SHE SAID FRANCE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE UNITED NATIONS APPROVAL THAT THOSE SOLDIERS CARRY THEIR ARMS AND BE ABLE TO INTERVENE IF DEEMED NECESSARY. TALKS ALSO DEALT WITH BILATERAL RELATIONS AND WAYS OF ENHANCING THEM IN ALL FIELDS IN WHICH THERE IS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, SHE ADDED. ON DISARMING HEZBOLLAH OF LEBANON, THE FRENCH MINISTER SAID THIS WAS INCLUDED IN THE UN RESOLUTION AND SHOULD BE OBSERVED BY HEZBOLLAH WHO IS REQUIRED TO PRACTICE SELF-DISARMING TO ASSURE THE LEBANESE SOVEREIGNTY ON ITS TERRITORY.
