France welcomes today's announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran that their countries have decided to restore their diplomatic and trade relations.
As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna told her Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, during their meeting this morning at the Quai d'Orsay, where they discussed this decision, France is in favor of dialogue and of any initiative that can help de-escalate tensions and strengthen regional security and stability. The need to promote dialogue in this region is therefore central to France's involvement in the Middle East, as reflected by the establishment of the Baghdad format, which is designed to serve that very purpose.
Working closely with its partners, France will continue to attentively monitor developments in the Middle East situation.