Saudi crown prince kicks off France visit

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday started a three-day official visit to France by holding talks with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

The two discussed cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, and entertainment, Philippe said in a Twitter post.

The heir to the Saudi throne arrived in France on Sunday. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron over dinner at the Louvre Museum.

The two leaders are set to meet again at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old prince, who is the commander-in-chief of the the kingdom's armed forces, is also set to meet French Defense Minister Florence Parly.

A Saudi-French joint business council on Tuesday will see the signing of several agreements in energy, agriculture, tourism, and culture.

A Franco-Saudi cooperation deal to develop Al Ula, a Saudi city rich in archeological remains, is also expected to be a central highlight of the visit, according to the Saudi Embassy in Paris.

A cooperation deal with the Paris National Opera to help Saudi Arabia develop a national orchestra was also inked Monday.

"Today an agreement was signed with the Paris Opera to help Saudi Arabia set up a national orchestra and an opera," French Culture Minister Francoise Nyssen said after talks with her Saudi counterpart, Awwad Alawwad.

Alawwad said the kingdom would take part in the Cannes film festival for the first time next month, submitting a selection of short movies.

The prince's trip to France follows a weeks-long tour of the United States, Britain, and Egypt where he courted a host of business titans and several multimillion-dollar deals.