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Sarkozy to Open Naval Base in UAE
ABU DHABI President of the French Republic Nicolas Sarkozy will open his countrys naval base in the UAE about 10 am on Tuesday at Zayed Port, in Abu Dhabi. This will be the major programme of Sarkozys short visit to the UAE which begins on Monday evening and concludes on Tuesday afternoon.Described as the first French defence base in the Arabian Gulf, the unit will comprise about 500 personnel drawn mainly from the French Navy, according to the officials at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA). The naval base, dubbed Peace Camp is likely to face the Strait of Hormuz, just across from Iran. The strait, which separates the UAEs neighbours Iran and Oman, is vital as 40 per cent of the worlds crude oil is transported through it. The base is a big step forward in Frances foreign policy, and through this it is demonstrating its commitment to cooperate with the UAE to enhance the security of the region, Riad Kahwaji, INEGMA Chief Executive Officer told Khaleej Times. France will be joining UK and the US among Western powers to have a permanent presence in the Gulf. The base is the first French base opened since the end of the colonial era. It will also augment the security cover of the UAE, said Dr Theodore Karasik, the senior researcher at INEGMA. France and the UAE had signed a reciprocal defence accord in 1995, under which their armed forces chiefs meet once a year and their army troops conduct around 25 joint manoeuvres per year. The proposal to set up the military base was announced by President Nicolas Sarkozy on January 15 last year. Sarkozy asserted in a recent interview to Diplomatie magazine that the new military presence underscored Frances desire to participate fully in the stability of this region that is essential for the worlds equilibrium. The move is widely seen as a sign of Frances tougher stance on Iran since Sarkozy took office in 2007. We are deliberately taking a deterrent stance, said an aide to Sarkozy. If Iran were to attack, we would effectively be attacked also.
Posted by: Steve White 2009-05-25 |
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