Riyadh– The President of the World Arab Institute in Paris, Jack Lang, said that Saudi-French relations were based on strategic dimensions, which are aimed at meeting common interests and goals.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Lang said that Saudi-French ties represented a “model relation” on the different economic, political and cultural levels. He added that such strong relations explain the frequent exchange of visits made by Saudi and French high-ranking officials, highlighting the big number of cooperation agreements, which cover the different fields of defense, security, economy, culture and education.

“In short, we can say that Riyadh is Paris’ best strategic partner in the region,” Lang said.

The president of the World Arab Institute in Paris said that Saudi Arabia and France share common political views on the situation in the Middle East, as they both work to promote stability and fight terrorism.

Lang added that his country had a clear stance towards the ongoing bombardment of Aleppo by Russian forces, rejecting the continuous airstrikes on the besieged city.

The French official stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the “Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage” Conference, which will kick off on Friday in Abu Dhabi.

“The presence of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, will have a strategic significance, as it will lead to new regional partnerships on the protection of heritage sites and objects in areas inflicted by wars and conflicts,” Lang said.

He added that several agreements and projects were signed between the Kingdom and France in the field of culture, heritage and arts, adding that the current director of the World Arab Institute was a Saudi national, who is deploying major efforts to consolidate ties between the two countries.