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Analysis

France cautious about China's role but welcomes Iran-Saudi agreement

Paris would have much preferred that the Saudi-Iran rapprochement would have been reached by means other than Chinese mediation.
France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) arrives with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a working dinner at presidential Elysee Palace in Paris on July 28, 2022. - French President Emmanuel Macron host Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris on July 28, 2022, outraging rights groups and the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Photo by BENOIT TESSIER / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BENOIT TESSIER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

PARIS — The French Foreign Ministry is publicly supporting the agreement reached last week between Iran and Saudi Arabia to renew bilateral diplomatic relations, while also striking a cautious tone when it comes to China — the broker— and its growing role in region.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Anne-Claire Legendre, said on Tuesday that France supports all measures likely to contribute to the stability of the region.

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