Macron opens Gulf tour after violent protests in France
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday began a Gulf tour aimed at securing oil and diesel supplies in an effort to bring down prices, after a weekend of violent protests sparked by soaring living costs.
Macron, just hours after slamming France's "unbridled" violence in an address late on Sunday, arrived in OPEC member Kuwait where he was welcomed by the emir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
He will also visit the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar by Wednesday on a trip aimed at strengthening "economic and defense partnerships" in the Gulf, which has been thrown into turmoil by the U.S.-Iran war since February.
Macron acknowledged security and intelligence failures but refused his interior minister's resignation after more than 2,500 people were arrested in some of France's worst violence in years, with town halls and shops looted and set on fire.
Before flying to Kuwait, he said the visit was needed to "secure our supplies", pointing out that the demonstrators had expressed "concern" about fuel prices.
Talks in Kuwait were focused on delivering pre-positioned stocks of kerosene and diesel from Oman to the French overseas territories of Reunion and Mayotte, the presidency said.
French armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin also signed a letter of intent on defense cooperation with her Kuwaiti counterpart, with discussions covering arms sales, according to a member of the French delegation.
Aviation giant Airbus signed a letter of intent to support the renewal of the Kuwait Airways fleet and cooperate on maintenance and training.
Macron's tour "may give an impression of normality... but may also appear out of touch and suggest a kind of power vacuum", said constitutional expert Benjamin Morel.
- 'Alternative' energy routes -
During his trip, "the goal is to secure a certain number of commitments" on diesel and oil volumes, the French presidency said.
Macron is accompanied by senior executives from France's two biggest energy groups, TotalEnergies and Engie.
The G7 countries, chaired this year by France, agreed in early October to draw up to 100 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to ease pressure.
Crude oil prices have ballooned during the eight-month war, as Iran blockades the Strait of Hormuz -- the main exit route for the Gulf's energy exports.
Yemen's Houthis have compounded the pressure by firing on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, striking the kingdom's oil sites and carrying out deadly attacks on Riyadh's international airport.
Francis Perrin, an energy expert at the French Institute for International and Strategic Relations, said he did not expect Macron's visit to have an impact on fuel prices.
"The Arab countries of the Gulf are very eager to supply the world, and the French market, but it is difficult for them to make firm commitments until the region has been stabilized," he said.
Macron will hold talks with Gulf leaders including the UAE's president and Qatar's emir on ways to "secure" maritime shipments and find "alternative and bypass routes" for energy exports, the presidency said.
France and Britain have assembled an international mission to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, mainly through demining operations, once the United States and Iran reach agreement on the waterway.
However, the two sides remain at an impasse, eight months since the start of hostilities.
The French president will also hold talks on defense cooperation, after the Gulf countries were targeted by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones.
France deployed its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the spring, along with Rafale fighter jets, a frigate and air defense assets.
Macron also sent French soldiers to protect Yanbu, an oil terminal on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast that has become a vital conduit for exports.
Source: Agence France Presse
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