PARIS: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his "warm reception" during talks in Paris that have outraged rights groups.
"As I leave your friendly country, it gives me great pleasure to express to your Excellency my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to me and the accompanying delegation," bin Salman wrote in a message posted by the Saudi foreign ministry.
The dinner on Thursday evening was the latest step in the diplomatic rehabilitation of the de-facto leader of the Saudi kingdom.
The 36-year-old became a pariah in the West following the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Macron’s office made no official statement on the talks overnight which were expected to focus on securing extra oil and gas supplies from the Middle East’s biggest producer.
The prince is being courted by Western leaders again as they urgently seek fresh sources of fossil fuels to replace lost Russian production.
US President Joe Biden travelled to Riyadh earlier this month, drawing similar criticism to that faced by Macron at home.
While Biden fist-bumped bin Salman in a gesture that was seized on by critics, Macron shook hands on the steps of the Elysee Palace as he welcomed the prince.
"He’s shaking the hand for a long time of man whose hands are covered in blood," senior leftwing MP Alexis Corbiere told BFM television on Friday.
But allies of the French president defended a meeting that has been widely portrayed as a demonstration of "Realpolitik" -- putting practical needs above principles in foreign policy.
Analysts say Saudi Arabia is one of few countries worldwide with the capacity to increase its oil production, though its margin for manoeuvre is seen as limited.
"There are partners, countries that do not all share the same democratic values as France," Public Services Minister Stanislas Guerini, a close ally of the president, told Europe 1 radio on Friday.
