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French FM plans visits to Mideast

PARIS, Jan 19 (KUNA) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault plans several visits to the Middle East region in the coming weeks and months, beginning next week in Saudi Arabia, the Minister confirmed to reporters on Thursday.
Speaking after his traditional New Year's ceremony with journalists, Ayrault said he would also visit Iran and probably Egypt, although his full schedule has not been finalised.
"I will go to Saudi Arabia next week and then I will go to Iran the week after that," he told reporters.
His visit to Saudi Arabia is to take place on January 23-24 and his visit to Iran around Jan 31, diplomats said.
Ayrault has already made several visits to the region, most recently to Lebanon and he also visited the UAE.
He intends to discuss bilateral economic and other relations while in the region, but also the international situation, especially the Syrian crisis and the nuclear agreement with Iran, which incoming US President Donald Trump has threatened to renounce.
He will also address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the stand-off in talks in the peace process, which France has been trying to move forward by organising meetings and conferences for the international community whereby support for the Two-State solution can be garnered.
The last conference on January 15 brought together 75 nations and organisations in Paris, many at ministerial level, and participants issued a message of strong support for the peace process based on the Two-State solution and also called for a halt to illegal Israeli settlement building which was condemned in December by the UN Security Council. (end) jk.nfm