LOC15:43
12:43 GMT
PARIS, May 19 (KUNA) -- The French government said on Thursday that it is
completely in favour of a demand by the UAE to be accredited to the NATO
organization through the appointment of an Emirati ambassador to the western
alliance.
"The Untied Arab Emirates has just asked for the accreditation of an
ambassador to NATO," a French Foreign Ministry statement said here.
"We fully support this request," the statement added.
"This is a new step in our relations, which have witnessed an intensity and
quality in cooperation between the UAE and the Alliance, notably in the
framework of operation Unified Protector in Libya," the Foreign Ministry
stated.
The UAE is one of four Arab nations that have agreed to take part in the
NATO-led, international operation against Libyan government forces in Libya.
That operation was given the green light by the UN Security Council last
March and the UAE and Qatar were among the first Arab countries to commit air
forces to enforce the "no fly" zone in Libya and assist in operations against
Libyan military forces attacking the opposition rebels in that country.
Jordan and Morocco also committed to logistical, mainly humanitarian help
in the Libya campaign. (End)
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