France begins implementing agreement to protect Saudi oil facilities; what it means

• The move signals a shift in France’s approach to defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia, although the scale of its military commitment remains unclear (Representative image: Reuters).
• France on Thursday said it has begun implementing operational elements of an agreement to help protect Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities as rising oil prices inflate the cost of living for Paris.
• Foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux announced, as he declined to provide details about the assets deployed to the kingdom, Reuters reported.