Macron: France working with Saudi Arabia, Egypt to secure winter gas supplies

France is intensifying efforts to secure energy supplies ahead of winter, working with Saudi Arabia and Egypt to facilitate additional gas deliveries. Paris is seeking to guarantee supply flows and reduce energy prices in the coming months.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France has been in contact with several parties to secure gas supplies and ensure their arrival in France, stressing that preparing for winter is a top priority for Paris at this time.

Macron explained that France is cooperating with energy-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and Nigeria, as well as engaging with partners in the Eastern Mediterranean, to guarantee both short- and long-term supply flows.

He noted that cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Egypt aims to enable the delivery of additional gas or refined products from Gulf countries via the Eastern Mediterranean, as part of France’s efforts to secure its energy needs in the coming period.

In parallel with these efforts, Macron announced that France will call for a meeting of G7 nations to coordinate policies on energy stockpiles and boosting production capacity, as well as to discuss the potential release of strategic reserves.

He added that exceptional measures at the European Union level could be taken to accelerate the release of stockpiles and help lower energy prices.

These French moves come as energy markets face the impact of tensions in the Middle East, while Paris works to secure both short- and long-term supplies and ease the pressures caused by rising energy prices.