Prince Mohammed to discuss Lebanon with French president

French political and diplomatic sources said Paris is expecting many things from the impending visit of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, pointing out that many international files require Saudi-French discussions.
Sources said the visit is one of the most important because of the numerous issues to be discussed by Prince Mohammad and French President Hollande. The deputy crown prince is expected to travel to France on June 27, after he concludes his visit to the US. 
Facilitating general elections in Lebanon will be among the topics under discussion, an issue that worries many neighboring countries, especially in light of the absence of the state and the increased political problems, despite international efforts to find a solution to the crisis. The crisis deepened after Paris abandoned the meeting of the supporting group, which was announced by Hollande during his visit to Lebanon on May 27. 
The meeting between the deputy crown prince and Hollande will also discuss the Iranian issue, especially after recent attempts by the Iranian lobby to push the global support group to accept the international initiative. 
However, these efforts failed in front of the Kingdom’s refusal to involve Iran in the initiative. 
Diplomatic sources in Paris said Iran is the cause of the Lebanese crisis, which is why Paris will pressure Iran, through its Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif, to stop interfering in the selection of the Lebanese president.
Politicians and experts said the threat to the region emanate from Iran and that Tehran employs the negotiation card to push Washington into recognizing its regional role and allowing it to play the policeman of the Arab world. Neither the United States nor Arab countries are ready to accept Iranian interference in the region, especially Saudi Arabia, which refuses any interference in Arab affairs and stands in the face of Iranian expansion in the region.

Source: Arab News