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French President Emmanuel Macron told French troops at a military base in Abu Dhabi on Sunday that he had given the official go-ahead to replace his country's flagship, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
"In line with the last two military programming laws, and after a thorough and comprehensive review, I have decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier," Macron said during a visit to French troops in the United Arab Emirates, adding that the decision to move ahead with the project was made this week.
Macron arrived in the United Arab Emirates earlier Sunday to celebrate Christmas with French troops and to discuss bilateral ties with the Gulf state, as France hopes for more cooperation in its fight against drug trafficking.
Macron is due to meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss "strengthening the strategic partnership" between the two countries, according to the French presidency, which stressed their cooperation on security and defence.
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The French president traditionally celebrates the end-of-year holidays with troops deployed abroad, of whom there are more than 900 in the UAE, before sharing a Christmas meal prepared by the Elysee's chefs.
France cooperates with the UAE on areas including artificial intelligence and trade, and now wants to secure the Gulf state's support in its war on drug trafficking.
Major traffickers are believed to have found refuge in the UAE, Dubai in particular, and some of them are thought to have built up substantial real estate portfolios there.
The French delegation includes Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who last month called on the UAE to extradite some 15 suspected drug traffickers wanted by France.
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And Macron said on Tuesday that he wanted to seek cooperation from countries where certain ringleaders are located to seize their assets and have them arrested.
The French troops deployed in the UAE take part in anti-drug trafficking patrols at sea.
They are also participating in Operation Aspides – the EU naval task force deployed to the Red Sea in response to attacks on ships by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels – and in Operation Chammal, which seeks to contain the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)