France… Saudi Satellite Supplier?

French Defense Minister Herve Morin, who wrapped up a two-day visit to the Kingdom on Sunday, said Saudi Arabia has shown interest in acquiring satellites “to develop an autonomous capacity of observation.” Speaking at a news conference at the Royal Terminal at King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia, the minister said his country has the needed facilities as well as the experts for the transfer of such technology to the Kingdom. In addition, he said France could also train Saudis for working in such projects.

The visiting minister, who met Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah with a message from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, also had discussions with Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan in Jeddah on Saturday. In Riyadh, Morin held talks with Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, deputy commander of the National Guard for Executive Affairs, on Sunday. Prince Miteb hosted a luncheon in Morin’s honor at his ranch in Riyadh prior to the minister’s departure. Iran is a source of concern for the two countries, the minister said, adding that the Kingdom shares the same opinion about Iran’s nuclear capability. “Such a program poses imminent risks for the security and stability of the region,” he stressed, pointing out that it could lead other countries in the region to follow suit.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France) have agreed on a new draft on sanctions against Iran, which would be adopted next week. The minister described Saudi Arabia as a regional power and said that relations between the two countries stem from a deep friendship. The Kingdom has a major role to play in the security and stability of the region, he added. Morin said his visit was a follow-up to the visit of King Abdullah to France. “The two countries are interested in strengthening defense cooperation,” the minister said. In July 2009, France and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on the sale of three Airbus A330-MRTT military-refueling planes to Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom was the largest importer of French weapons from 1999 to 2008. In the summer of 2009, France and Saudi Arabia concluded a contract for the purchase of three new A330-MRTT tanker derivative of the Airbus A330. (Source: ArabNews.com)