JEDDAH: Rich tributes were paid to the deep-rooted Saudi-French ties at the celebrations of Bastille Day, the national holiday of France, at the residence of French Consul General Chritian Nakhle on Wednesday night.
Addressing guests that included Muhammad A. Tayeb, regional director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other government officials, members of the diplomatic corp. and business executives, Nakhle said it was a great honor for him to host the celebrations in Jeddah for the second year.
He said since last year the friendship between his country and the Kingdom has further strengthened by the high-level visits from France.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy visited Riyadh in November 2009. Then last month Hervé Morin, the minister of defense, visited Saudi Arabia. He also mentioned his accompanying Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on his visit to Paris.
Nakhle, who spoke simultaneously in French and Arabic, said responding to the requests of “our Saudi friends, we have improved visa procedures. Since February 2010, we have opened a separate section to receive applications and it is operating smoothly”.
