MUSCAT: French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his gratitude to Oman for its crucial role in securing French citizen Louis Arnaud on Thursday.
“I thank our Omani friends and all those who worked for this happy ending,” Macron said in a statement on X.
Arnaud, a banking consultant in his 30s, was arrested while travelling through Iran in 2022. He was later sentenced to five years in prison on national security charges.
The Sultanate of Oman’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the understanding reached by Iran and France, which secured the release of Arnaud. He was transferred from Tehran to Muscat for his repatriation.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Oman expressed its appreciation for the positive spirit that prevailed in the discussions between the two friendly countries.
Emerging from a small plane at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, a visibly tired but smiling Arnaud shook hands with Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne before embracing his parents, according to images aired on television.
— ONA and AFP
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