Elysee intensive program on the eve of 2022 elections – Mehr News Agency | Iran and world’s news
Mehr News Agency, International Group- Mary Dates: The phrase “he is not good with Middle Islam but he is interested in the Middle East” is perhaps the best description of French President Emmanuel Macron. From the day after the Beirut bombing on August 4, 2020, to this past Sunday; Macron traveled twice to Lebanon and twice to Iraq, visiting the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia between Friday and Sunday.
In all of these trips, his focus has been on resolving regional challenges or mediating to reconcile with each other, which in this recent trip specifically refers to the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
Earlier on France and the Arab Middle East nostalgia rooted in the colonial history of Paris in It has the region of North Africa and Shamat, and especially in Lebanon, it is due to the special religious and ethnic conditions of this country; To We have spoken in detail. This is an approach that began with the founding of the Fifth Republic of France by Charles de Gaulle in 1958 and continued until Nicolas Sarkozy came to power in 2007 and his inclination towards the United States and Britain – a tendency for France. It played a complementary role to US military intervention in the Middle East.
But Macron rose to revive the doctrine of Goleism, which is based on independence from the United States and the restoration of French influence in the former colonies and the West Asian region; It can be largely interpreted in relation to the doctrine of the Far East or the Americas.
US policy of focusing on China, leading to a reduction in manpower and equipment across the West Asian region; Washington’s determination to form new coalitions in the Indo-Pacific region, which in some cases, such as the Agus arms deal, led to the disregard of Europe’s old partners, the US need to curb Europe’s desire for strategic independence, the emergence of choice and, ultimately, recent tensions. Paris – London is always a reason for Macron to be fascinated by the Middle East.
Apart from all this, there are two other factors that justify Macron’s excessive travel to the region: the 2022 French presidential election and the country’s rotating presidency of the European Union.
Consolidation of the EU’s position as an achievement
With just four months to go before the French presidential primary, Macron needs a foreign policy breakthrough to consolidate his second term. His approach is largely based on the restoration of the political-military greatness of the Green Continent in the form of the EU’s strategic independence. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the claim of a reduction in troops in the West Asian region in favor of their presence in the Indo-Pacific region is an opportunity for the EU to fill this so-called vacuum in the region with its maximum presence. France holds the rotating presidency of the European Union for six months; Macron’s Middle East travel actually magnifies Europe’s role in the region’s equations.
Of course, this role-playing is also done with the green light of the United States and in the form of outsourcing the commitments in order to implement the policy of rotation to the Indo-Pacific. In other words, the United States allows the members of the Green Continent to satisfy their pride under the guise of participating in world governance so that Europe does not claim independence, while at the same time Washington finds the opportunity to pursue interests in the name of reviving transatlantic relations. Its 21st century strategy focused on controlling China; Meet.
Creating an Arab axis to confront Turkey
Macron returns to the Middle East at the best possible opportunity, as the traditional form of trust in Washington for regional partners as well as European allies is now largely broken. At the same time, Macron’s new approach to creating an Arab axis parallel to the European Union to counter Turkish influence in the region is commendable. Turkey has been active in Libya and North Africa, historically considered France’s political-economic backyard, seeking to shift the balance in its favor. At the same time, Turkey, under the pretext of fighting P. ک. K also plays a role in northern Iraq. In Syria, too, Turkey has a questionable presence in the name of fighting Kurdish People’s Defense Units. Of course, for France, it is not the principle of Turkish intervention, but the Ankara-Paris conflict of interests that brings the two countries to a standstill. This conflict of interest culminates especially in the exploitation of the energy resources of the Eastern Mediterranean. Of course, Turkey does not leave the stage empty for France either, as we see that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after 10 years of tension with Abu Dhabi, is thinking of reviving relations with the UAE. At the same time, Erdogan is looking forward to reviving relations with the Zionist regime and Egypt. But it is noteworthy that the President of Turkey has chosen the policy of reducing tensions with his neighbors by force and in the face of declining popularity and economic turmoil – that is, 18 months before the presidential race – and in this direction, inevitably Giving points to other parties is an equation.
Feeling uncertain in America’s shadow
Macron has returned to the Middle East at the best possible opportunity, as the traditional form of trust in Washington for regional partners as well as European allies has been severely broken. This uncertainty manifested itself for the members of the Green Continent in the form of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the lack of consultation with them, and when the Agus Pact was unveiled; Culminated. As a result of this military alliance, Australia is to buy nuclear submarines from the United States and Britain; Paris lost a € 60 billion contract to build conventional submarines for Canberra. But the removal of a strategic partner from a macroeconomic project is not the only reason France is upset with Agus. More importantly, by concluding such an agreement, the United States announced to European partners that it was seeking to form new alliances in the Indo-Pacific Strategic Area that would not necessarily involve members of the Green Continent, while in the more informal quad that includes Australia. , Japan, India and the United States; We also saw such an approach.
The rift in the wall of trust between Washington’s regional partners manifested itself at a time when the United States, from the Trump era onwards, spoke in different tones with a more or less the same message about the need to pay their share of security, instilling the belief that It must reduce its forces and equipment at the regional level in order to focus on China. Patriot’s departure from Saudi Arabia coincides with the psychological burden of the fall of Ashraf Ghani’s government in Afghanistan after years of US mercenaries, greatly confusing Washington’s regional partners.
From time to time, Macron cautiously and at long intervals puts forward an idea that is definitely not to Tehran’s liking. France’s return to the region, meanwhile, gives both the European Union a chance to fill the gap of distrust, and Washington’s regional partners find a new foothold, especially as Paris has a thriving arms industry.
The announcement of the sale of 80 Rafael fighter jets to the UAE worth 16 billion euros, which was reported in the media before Macron’s trip to Abu Dhabi; In this regard, it can be evaluated. The deal is seen both as an achievement for Macron in the run-up to the French presidential election, which seeks to offset the loss of the Agus treaty, and as a consolation for the UAE, which has already lost a deal to buy 50 US F-35s. Not to mention that the sale of the F-35 fighter to the UAE has been delayed because Washington is concerned about Abu Dhabi’s relations with Beijing, including the use of 5G technology by the Chinese company Huawei in that country.
Macron; Repeating a mistake against Iran
In its rise to play a role in the region, France is largely under the illusion that it must enter the Iranian nuclear issue from a position of power and influence. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s claims that “the Vienna talks should start from the stopping point in the sixth round”, the accusation that “Iran enters the talks with a fake gesture” or the claim of “concern over Iran’s approach to the IAEA” In this regard, it can be evaluated. But let alone the usual claims of the French speaker of the European troika negotiating with Iran; From time to time, Macron cautiously and at long intervals comes up with an idea that is definitely not to Tehran’s liking. At the same time last year, he claimed that Saudi Arabia should be involved in nuclear talks with Iran. Where this idea comes from; It has already been described in detail. But the point to consider is that the French president, last Friday, at the same time as the seventh round of Vienna talks to consult with the capitals, mixed this claim with the spice of the Zionist regime and raised it again. “It is important that we give more dynamism to the negotiations and involve the regional powers,” he said. “Without the participation of the Gulf states, Israel and all those whose security is directly affected, it will be difficult to reach an agreement.”
Those on the other side of the Vienna talks should not raise their expectations above Iran’s red line The claim, which is based on “investigating Iran’s missile program and regional actions,” comes at a time when the Zionist regime lacks legitimacy for Iran, and in relation to other countries in the region, Iran is willing to talk only in the framework of the neighborhood and not in the framework of Borjam. And exchange.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh responded to more or less similar allegations, saying: “What is being done in Vienna is to focus on lifting sanctions against Iran.” If the countries of the Persian Gulf think that we have a different dialogue, they should hear this position. Our agenda is clear about Vienna and the region.
This statement means that those on the other side of the Vienna negotiating table should not raise their expectations above Iran’s red line (one of which is the missile defense program); Or if, for example, Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to freeze the relationship; Iran welcomes, but in a different context based on the right of neighborliness, provided that they do not read their demands from the version complicated for them by the West.
Khashgeji killer red carpet for Macron
Another point to consider about Macron’s recent visit to the region is that he is the first high-ranking Western official to travel to Saudi Arabia since the brutal assassination of Jamal Khashgeji in October 2018. His meeting with bin Salman, who had a direct role in the murder, provoked negative feedback. For example, Mike Wallace, the Irish representative to the European Union, wrote in a Twitter message: Macron’s attempt to give credence to Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman does not help his credibility.
Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Kalamar also told Le Monde newspaper that Macron was spending his presidential glory on bin Salman; Expressed regret.
Of course, the French president has already proven that he does not care much about human rights, for example, last year he awarded the “Legion Donor” or the French badge of honor to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which is known as repression. In any case, as long as Paris can sell arms to the Arab countries of the region and enjoy decent energy resources; He does not see the need to worry about human rights issues. But when he does; It is better not to make an ethical gesture, at least for others.
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