The Saudi crown prince visits Greece and then France, his first visit to Europe since the Khashoggi affair.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will travel to Greece on Tuesday, July 26, and then to France, on his first trip to the European Union. The assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to the official agency. will meetThe leaders of Greece and France discuss bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them in various areas“SPA said, quoting a press release from the royal court.

The trip comes less than two weeks after US President Joe Biden’s visit to the kingdom, which has put the crown prince back on the international scene amid the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices.

Free up the oil market

The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), has been shunned by the West since the brutal 2018 killing of critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country’s embassy in Istanbul. US intelligence services pointed to Mohammed bin Salman as responsible, poisoning relations between Riyadh and Washington. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West has been trying to open the floodgates to bail the major crude oil exporter out of markets.

Read moreWar in Ukraine: Europeans try to break deadlock on Russian oil

However, Riyadh is resisting pressure from these allies, citing its commitment to OPEC+, the oil alliance it co-leads with Moscow. Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the new president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, to Paris. During the visit, officials announced a deal between French energy company Total Energies and Emirati state oil company ADNOC.For cooperation in the field of energy supply“.

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