The rather charming (my personal opion btw) Sarkozy is here in the UAE on an official visit, with one of his 'to-do' lists being opening a French military base in the capital:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to open France's first permanent military base in the Gulf on Monday, giving Paris a strategic role in the region and a key supply route for oil.
France will be joining Britain and the United States as the few western powers to have a permanent presence in the Gulf and "Peace Camp" is the first French base opened since the end of the colonial era.
The move is widely seen as a sign of France's tougher stance on Iran since Sarkozy took office in 2007, fueled by concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme.
"We are deliberately taking a deterrent stance," said an aide to Sarkozy. "If Iran were to attack, we would effectively be attacked also."
Sarkoy also told UAE official news agency Wam: "Be assured that France is on your side in the event your security is at risk.
More here.
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