Jeddah (AFP) – French Defence Minister Herve Morin said Saturday that Saudi Arabia and France share a common "concern" over Iran’s nuclear programme.
"There is a large shared view over a number of issues with Saudi Arabia, including the Iranian and Lebanese issues," he told AFP after he held talks with King Abdullah.
He said that the two countries are in accord "over the concern represented by the Iranian (nuclear) programme and its potential to destabilise the region."
Morin reiterated that France is ready to "increase pressure on Iran to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme."
Despite already being under UN Security Council sanctions, Tehran refuses to suspend its controversial programme of uranium enrichment, which the West fears to be a cover for atomic weapons development, a charge Iran denies.
The french minister began a regional tour Saturday which will also take him to the United Arab Emirates on Monday.
