PARIS (AFP) — France's first permanent military base since the end of the colonial era gives it a strategic role in the Strait of Hormuz bordering Iran, the main supply route for world oil.
France and the United Arab Emirates signed an accord during a visit by President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday, which calls for Paris to set up a military base in Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest and largest of the UAE's seven emirates.
The military facility, due to become operational in 2009, will eventually host 400 to 500 French army, navy and air force personnel, according to a military aide to Sarkozy.
Defence Minister Herve Morin said Wednesday the chief purpose of the base will be to provide support for "the military means that we regularly deploy in the countries of the Gulf."
But he also described it as part of a "strategic partnership" that would allow France to "take part in the stabilisation of the region".
"This is a policy intended to ensure that France is present everywhere it is supposed to be present, in a region of the world where major strategic issues are at stake," Morin said.
"I wouldn't go so far as to speak of a geostrategic revolution -- it's a bit soon for that," said Didier Billion, deputy director of the Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS).
"But this step formalises a rapprochement started several years ago with the Gulf States, and the Emirates in particular."
For Bruno Tertrais, of the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), "given its geographical location and the political context regarding Iran," the new French base represents a "significant reinforcement of the ability of French forces to act in the region."
The Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for 40 percent of the world's oil, was the scene of an incident between Iranian and US military boats last week, straining already tense relations between Washington and Tehran.
US President George W. Bush said during a Gulf tour this week he still viewed Iran as "a threat" despite a US intelligence review last month which concluded Tehran had shelved its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.
"Politically this is a powerful decision, especially at this time of diplomatic confrontation with Iran, a matter on which France has hardened its stance since Nicolas Sarkozy came to power," wrote the right-wing French newspaper Le Figaro.
"Strategically it is just as important. In the event of a conflict in the region, France will find itself almost automatically involved in the battle."
Le Figaro also warned the new French base could find itself "a target for terrorist attacks, or Iranian missiles" in the event of a flare-up of violence in the region, and predicted Paris would be seeking firm security guarantees.
Morin dismissed suggestions the base could be perceived as a provocation by the Al-Qaeda network, saying it was "absolutely not" a concern.
According to Billion, the base also illustrates the will of Washington's partners in the Gulf region to diversify their alliances, "to avoid putting all their eggs in the same basket."
France is a leading military supplier to the UAE, and the two countries are linked by a 1995 defence pact under which their armed forces chiefs meet once a year and their army troops conduct around 25 joint manoeuvres per year.
Their next major joint exercise, dubbed "Gulf Shield", starts next month involving 1,400 troops from UAE and Qatar and 600 from France.
Under the current pact, French navy ships also make around 30 stops per year in the UAE, while the air force sends fighter pilots there twice a year on training courses.
France has a number of military bases mainly in Africa including Djibouti, which occupies a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden, and which is expected to supply some of the troops for the Abu Dhabi base.
Paris gave a first sign in September that it meant to boost its presence in the Gulf, announcing plans to train officers from the region from 2011 and to open a branch of its prestigious Saint Cyr military academy in Qatar.
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