By DPA
Paris : A memorandum signed Tuesday by French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) foresees the establishment of a permanent French military base in the port of Abu Dhabi, across from Iran, by the year 2009, the daily Le Figaro reported Wednesday.
The base, which will hold 400 to 500 French soldiers from every branch of the military, will give France a toehold near the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 40 percent of the world’s oil is transported.
The base will also include a significant intelligence operation, Paris-based International Herald Tribune Wednesday quoted French officials as saying.
The agreement will give France a more crucial role in the politically sensitive region. Sarkozy and other French senior officials have established a hard line against Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, going so far as to say that it could lead to a military conflict.