KUWAIT CITY — Emmanuel Macron flew into Kuwait on Monday to start a four-country tour of the Gulf, where France is looking for secure energy supplies while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
The Élysée set out the aims of the tour in advance. It spoke of “securing and diversifying our energy supplies and their delivery routes,” and of limiting the energy crisis’s consequences for daily life in France. It also named stability in the region and free circulation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron is seeking extra volumes of diesel and oil, and concrete commitments from his hosts that could indirectly ease prices at French pumps, according to AFP. Top executives from TotalEnergies and Engie are traveling with Macron. The talks also take in alternative routes for liquid hydrocarbons while Hormuz shipments remain disrupted.
At the airport, Macron was met by the Emir, the crown prince and the prime minister, the Amiri Diwan said. An official reception ceremony followed at Amiri Airport, with the national anthems of both countries played.
Official talks followed at Bayan Palace, chaired by the Emir and Macron, the Diwan said. The talks reviewed relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them across various fields, the economy, trade and investment in particular. Regional and international developments of common interest were also discussed.
The two leaders exchanged decorations. The Emir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, presented Macron with the Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, and Macron presented the Emir with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor.
The signings covered several fields. Agreements, declarations of intent and memorandums of understanding were all signed, the Kuwait News Agency reported. Defense cooperation and civil aviation are among them, and so are data and artificial intelligence. The rest covers academic and scientific cooperation, investment promotion and health — and a strategic aviation partnership with Airbus.
Macron was received in the Emirates by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, WAM reported. An official ceremony was held at the airport, where both anthems were played and Macron inspected a guard of honor.
The two presidents discussed broadening cooperation within their countries’ strategic relations, especially in the economy, investment, energy, advanced technology and artificial intelligence, WAM said. They also reviewed Middle East developments and efforts to address them, and their impact on maritime security and global energy supplies, and stressed coordination to reinforce regional security and stability.
In Paris, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired the interministerial crisis cell Macron had promised in his Sunday address. Commerce Minister Serge Papin said at least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted in the weekend unrest, according to a French government transcript of the briefing.
Lecornu said the state will cover partial unemployment at 100% for employees of affected businesses starting Tuesday, through a ministerial instruction meant to protect jobs.
“We will put public money on the table.”
The government will also open a specific support fund for affected businesses, Lecornu said, with the amount and eligibility rules to be set after consultations running through Tuesday. He said many shopkeepers had already stocked up for Christmas, and the government is pressing insurers to speed up assessments and advance payments.
At home, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez also kept the president’s backing on Monday, when Macron declined his resignation offer, according to Reuters. Lecornu told reporters Nuñez had his confidence.
Macron is due in Bahrain on Tuesday and in Qatar later Tuesday and Wednesday morning, according to the Élysée agenda.
Also Read: Macron Announces Aid and Security Review After French Unrest
Also Read: Lecornu Orders Partial Curfews in French Cities After Weekend of Riots
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