Kylian Mbappé is one of the first to appear in the courtyard of the Élysée.
The star of the France team wears a burgundy red tie, in the colors of Qatar.
He walks onto the red carpet, while the Republican Guard sounds a cheerful tune.
It is not yet 8 p.m. this Tuesday evening, and the state dinner in honor of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is about to begin.
In all, more than 120 personalities were invited.
Qatari ministers are there, like their French counterparts (Gérald Darmanin, Rachida Dati, etc.).
Gabriel Attal arrives directly from the Agricultural Show.
Present in the palace's banquet hall are great captains of industry, French people with links to the Arab world (Jack Lang, Jean-Yves Le Drian) or the chef Alain Ducasse, seated next to the Parisian goleador.
Former president Nicolas Sarkozy and his friend Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the president of PSG, are placed side by side at the head table, near Brigitte Macron.
The menu was concocted by three-star Christian Le Squer: first grilled white asparagus, caviar as a starter.
Then, blue lobster from Brittany, churned butter with truffles, accompanied by fingerling potatoes from Le Touquet (a town dear to Emmanuel Macron).
For dessert, an alpine Beaufort and a sweet cocoa bean pleasure.
Also read: Qatar commits to investing 10 billion euros in the French economy by 2030
Flattering the taste buds is a great classic of diplomacy, which should not create any illusions.
The time has also come for complicated issues... During his toast, Emmanuel Macron welcomes “ten billion euros” of Qatari investment promises by 2030. But also, “converging” positions on the defense level and “the common fight against terrorism”.
Qatar plays a central role, sometimes denounced as ambivalent by its opponents, in discussions in the Middle East.
Hostages: Macron thanks Qatar
“The Head of State recalled that he was working hand in hand with the Qataris to free the three French hostages,” reports one of the participants.
Emmanuel Macron thanked them for their role in the release of other French nationals.
He also pleaded for the preservation of the populations of Gaza.
And hammered home that the future of this region required the creation of two states, one Palestinian and one Israeli.”
The Emir speaks, affirming that France is a “friendly country”, “not a partner”.
Then, he deplores the lack of international consensus on a political exit from the conflict.
Before ending his speech with a few words in France - the emir is French-speaking.
“It was a very important moment in the relationship between our two countries, with billions of euros of investment at stake, it is crucial for our trade balance.
When there are disagreements, we say them to each other, but we must continue to share and collaborate,” said independent MP Liot, president of the France-Qatar friendship group, Christophe Naegelen, as he left.
At the end of the dinner, Kylian Mbappé, Brigitte Macron and the Emir of Qatar stand aside and chat aside.
“Good luck,” the latter whispered to him, at the start of the evening, in a sequence captured by the cameras.
A reference, perhaps, to the upcoming departure of the PSG star.
Emmanuel Macron did not make any allusion to this departure... Simply recalling "how much Kylian had excelled in the World Cup final and how much he had made France vibrate, during an unforgettable final", according to a witness.
At 10:20 p.m., the Republican Guard ends with a few pieces of Arabic music while the guests head towards the steps.
The feast ends.
Diplomatic discussions will intensify behind the scenes as the state visit continues this Wednesday.