Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received a warm welcome at the Elysee Palace in Paris as French President Emmanuel Macron has supported France’s arms sales to Riyadh at a joint press conference.
“France has adopted a very specific arms process, with an existing commission that has reinforced its rules of distribution whereby all sales of military equipment are analyzed on a case-by-case basis and on the basis of reinforced criteria that reflect respect for international humanitarian law and the risk of harm to civilian populations,” Macron said.
“Stability in the Middle East is our common goal. With Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace,” the French President tweeted.
Macron’s support for Saudi Arabia and the decision to continue selling arms to Riyadh, which is involved in the Yemeni war, has outraged many people in France, who immediately took to Twitter to express their indignation:
“Mr. Macron, it’s MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] who destabilizes the Middle East. Stop supporting him like foolish Trump.”
https://twitter.com/SalamehJack/status/983836320102526976
“Saudi Arabia is working hard on stability in Yemen with French weapons.”
https://twitter.com/DURE16568799/status/983832056571588608
“Stability? And what about arms contracts that you’re going to sign with Riyadh at the end of the year? Are they for water guns?”
Stabilité ? Et les contrats d'armement que vous allez signer à Ryad à la fin de l'année ? C'est pour des pistolets à eau ?
— Mec pacifique (@mec_pacifique) April 11, 2018
“How can we speak about stability if we sell weapons to terrorist States. Macron has no morality.”
Comment parler de stabilité quant on vend des armes aux etats terroristes.
Il n' a pas de morale ce MACRON.— PatSoub (@PatBowie42) April 11, 2018
“How many contracts for these rogue states?”
Et combien de contrats pour ces voyous?? €€€$$$
— Amanullah🐞69 #GiletsJaunes #AntiPass🇨🇵🇨🇦🇮🇹 (@ManuTuDescends9) April 11, 2018
“Stability with bombs made in France, I suppose?”
https://twitter.com/OuateDePhuck/status/983831351718801408
“The only courageous decision would have been to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which bombs civilians in Yemen. But the president of the rich is the sales representative of French arms manufacturers. War crimes can continue.”
https://twitter.com/poxxk/status/983773461326725122
“Emmanuel Macron sells arms to Saudi Arabia to accompany it in its genocide in Yemen, and we speak of ‘international law’?”
https://twitter.com/BeauJuliett/status/983765898317254656
France is the world’s third largest arms exporter, and Saudi Arabia is one of its biggest purchasers: on April 8, Paris and Riyadh sealed a new intergovernmental agreement on a weapons deal.