French President Francois Hollande, left, talks with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown and Defense Minister Prince Moahmmed bin Salman, during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

French President Francois Hollande, who met Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in Riyadh on Monday, held a series of talks with senior government officials in the capital in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties in several fields of mutual interest Tuesday.

During the talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Hollande discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and explored ways of enhancing them in various fields, especially with regard to cooperation in combating terrorism and the latest developments in the regional and international arenas.

Hollande also addressed GCC leaders at the 15th GCC consultative meeting in Riyadh, which was presided over by King Salman.

Foreign Affairs Minister Adel Al-Jubeir took part in all discussions in the capital.

Among those who attended the talks from the French side were French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Laurent Fabius, Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Ambassador Bertrand Besancenot and a number of French and Saudi officials.

The visiting French president also met Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Abdul Lateef Al-Asheikh, Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Transport Minister Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al-Moqbil, President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser and former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Rafiq Al-Hariri, who is currently in the Kingdom.

According to a statement, released in Riyadh following the talks between King Salman and Hollande on Monday, France and Saudi Arabia confirmed the necessity to reach a robust, lasting, verifiable, undisputed and binding deal with Iran. It further said that this agreement must not destabilize the security and stability of the region, nor threaten the security and stability of Iran’s neighbors.

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