PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron underlined the importance of having a diverse source of energy supplies during his talks this week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said a statement from Macron’s Elysee office on Friday.
Macron hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday as part of increased Western efforts to court the major oil-producing state amid the war in Ukraine and faltering talks to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.
France and other European countries are looking to diversify their sources of energy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has seen Moscow cut gas supplies to Europe. Macron wants Riyadh, the world’s largest oil exporter, to raise production.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
