The Piece of Saudi Advice Sarkozy Needs
Randa Takieddine Al Hayat - 02/07/08//
Meeting with French expatriates at the French Embassy in Riyadh on January 14, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his appreciation and respect for the Kingdom's monarch, Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz. In his address, he said that "King Abdullah's analyses are realistic and wise; his initiatives are courageous, constructive and highly valuable." Sarkozy added that if all Arab leaders "spoke with the openness and moderation of King Abdullah, the danger of conflicts would not be as great as it is today."
Sarkozy said at the time that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a major strategic partner of France in the Middle East, and that the friendship between the two states was longstanding and strong.
The French president has invited the heads of states of Mediterranean countries to a summit on July 13. No one has blamed him for such an invitation, as he is trying to establish a union of countries of both the southern and northern coast of the Mediterranean, although a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict remains out of reach. Nevertheless, Sarkozy did receive blame from several sides regarding his invitation of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to the July 14 military parade, which marks Bastille Day and celebrates the French Revolution, a revolution which was based on the principles of liberty, fraternity and equality. To reward Syria with an invitation to such celebrations was perceived by several Arab sides as incomprehensible, as well as unjustifiable. Lebanon is still in a state of deadlock, one which has moved from the presidential election to the formation of the Ministerial Cabinet. Furthermore, the security conditions that have prevailed in Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and sixteen others are still present in Saudi minds, as are the threats against Arab ambassadors in Lebanon by Syria's allies. All of this should surely not warrant such a swift reward for the president of an Arab country that does not recognize Lebanon as a country, and refuses to establish mutual embassies or to demarcate its joint borders with it.
When the French presidential team asked President Assad about the Shebaa Farms, they were faced with a hard-line stance, which can be summed up by saying that there can be no discussion about Shebaa until a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is reached. Assad later reiterated this stance when contacted by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
France decided to reward Syria because Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was elected. However, the obstruction of progress in Lebanon continues, and France's haste to distribute rewards with nothing in return is incomprehensible. Had Sarkozy benefited from the experience of the Saudi monarch, whom he describes as a rational man, he might have avoided extending such an unfathomable invitation.
Sarkozy is trying to bolster his image in France as a man of peace, after his successful visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. However, this will not lead to anything regarding Lebanon. The French president has repeatedly stated that he will not visit Damascus until he sees what happens in Paris, and after diplomatic relations have been established between Syria and Lebanon. But the man is in a hurry, and has no experience with the long periods of time required for changes to take place in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia's evaluation of inviting Assad to the July 14 celebrations is completely different from that of Sarkozy. Saudi Arabia has a better grasp of what is happening in Lebanon, and of Syria's policy towards Lebanon, as well as in Palestine and Iraq. Hence it considers that the French reward is uncalled for. However, the task of general secretary of the French presidency Claude Gueant, a close Sarkozy confidant and the bridge-builder between Paris and the Qaddafi and Assad regimes, will begin after July 14. He will head to Saudi Arabia, to brief King Abdullah on what has taken place. Indeed, having a strategic partnership means taking into consideration the opinion of one's partner, and informing such a partner of recent developments.
Prior to the July 14 invitation, the basis of the partnership between France and Saudi Arabia was strong. However, France overlooked such a basis and made a mistake. But Franco-Saudi relations are historical and longstanding, and the two countries' common interests transcend differences in evaluating events. If there is a piece of advice that should be directed at the French president, it is that he should take Saudi Arabia's opinion into consideration in matters regarding the situation in the Middle East.
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