JEDDAH – French President Francois Hollande will arrive here Sunday on a visit to Saudi Arabia during which he will meet King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. During the meeting, they will discuss bilateral relations, ways of enhancing them in various fields, and regional and international issues of common concern. Hollande will also be visiting Lebanon before attending an Asia-Europe summit in Laos to talk trade at a time of economic crisis. Hollande will first stop at Beirut for talks with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman, the Elysee presidential palace said Friday. The Syrian crisis is on the top of the agenda. His trip to Lebanon will be the first by a French president since the previous head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy, visited in June 2008. A French government source said the visit was “a strong political gesture of backing for Lebanon's sovereignty and the preservation of its integrity in the face of destabilization threats.” The centerpiece of Hollande's tour is an Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit which starts in the capital of Laos Monday against the backdrop of the eurozone economic crisis and lower growth forecast in Asia. The two-day summit gathers all 27 EU member states and 21 from Asia, including China and India, growth engines which have both come under pressure as the eurozone debt crisis has undercut demand for their exports. “We are a very important market for them,” an EU diplomat said, adding and “they are equally important to us.” The French president will hold several bilateral meetings, notably with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao for talks on economic issues and Beijing's continued support to the euro. It will be the first visit to Asia for Hollande, who took power in May. – Agencies
