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France has opened its first military base in the Gulf Arab region, with French officials saying the facility will strengthen efforts to battle piracy and defend trade.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, inaugurated the base, dubbed Peace Camp, in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
Located in Abu Dhabi, the facility will host up to 500 troops stationed at three sites: a navy and logistical base, an air base housing three fighter planes and a training camp.
The base sits on the banks of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 per cent of the world's crude oil is transported.
Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said that the naval base in Abu Dhabi was aimed at supporting and training France's allies in the region.
"Some 90 per cent of European trade traffic is by sea and we have to defend traffic and trade and we are interested in the Gulf and want to bring about the necessary balance in this region," he said.
PHOTO CAPTION
Emirati military personnel stand near two French jet fighters and an Emirati Mirage 2000-9 at a military base near Abu Dhabi.
Al-Jazeera
