PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that the visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to France marks an “important step” in relations between the two countries, stressing their shared commitment to promoting peace and stability amid regional challenges.In a post on X, Macron said France and Saudi Arabia have consistently worked together to advance peace and stability and would continue their consultations toward that goal.“Faced with the challenges in the region, France and Saudi Arabia have always promoted peace and stability together, and will continue their consultations in this direction,” Macron said.He said the partnership between Riyadh and Paris is also being translated into concrete cooperation across major projects, advanced technologies, investment and international events, citing the Esports World Cup in Paris as an example.“We have already accomplished a great deal together. We can go further,” Macron said.The remarks came as the Crown Prince began an official visit to France at the invitation of Macron, with the trip expected to deepen cooperation across political, economic and strategic fields.The two leaders attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris on Sunday, ahead of a full program of talks on Monday. The tournament is being held in Paris for the first time, reflecting a shared Saudi-French ambition to use sport and culture as drivers of closer ties.On Monday, Macron is scheduled to officially receive the Crown Prince at the Élysée Palace, where the two leaders will hold bilateral talks before chairing the first meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council.The council was established following Macron’s state visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024 and is intended to provide a high-level framework for expanding cooperation across political, economic, cultural, technological and strategic fields.Several agreements covering areas including health, transport and energy are expected to be signed during the visit, while the two leaders will discuss major economic and strategic issues underpinning the Saudi-French partnership, including energy, aviation and defense.The talks are also expected to focus heavily on regional developments at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East.According to the French presidency, the Crown Prince and Macron will exchange views on major regional challenges requiring close coordination between France and its Gulf partners in support of stability and peace in the Middle East.Discussions are expected to include the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to diversify energy supply and transport routes connecting the Middle East with Europe, including maritime corridors, regional rail networks and alternative pipeline projects.Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian issue are also expected to feature in the talks. Riyadh and Paris have maintained close coordination on Lebanon and jointly spearheaded international efforts to revive momentum toward the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The Crown Prince’s current visit is his third to France in recent years, following visits in July 2022 and June 2023, while Macron made a state visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024.