Emmanuel Macron begins go to to United Arab Emirates to rejoice Christmas with French forces | EUROtoday

Emmanuel Macron started a go to to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, December 21, to rejoice Christmas with the French forces deployed there and to reward his partnership with this Gulf nation, from which Paris hopes for extra cooperation in its struggle towards drug trafficking.

The French head of state, accompanied particularly by the Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, arrived late within the morning (native time) in Abu Dhabi. He was to go to the Zayed National Museum earlier than a gathering with Emirati President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to debate “strengthening the strategic partnership” between the 2 nations, in accordance with the French presidency, which underlines their cooperation “in matters of security and defense”.

France works with the Emirates on a navy stage – greater than 900 French troopers are deployed there, on three bases. It is in entrance of them that Emmanuel Macron should communicate on Sunday afternoon, earlier than sharing a Christmas dinner ready by the cooks of the Elysée.

According to custom, the French president celebrates the top of yr holidays with troops deployed overseas. The Emirates had been chosen this time as a result of “the region crystallizes a set of crises”clarified the French presidency this week.

“War” on drug trafficking

France cooperates with the Emirates on a variety of areas starting from synthetic intelligence to tradition and commerce. The oil nation is its primary buyer when it comes to exports to the Near and Middle East, in accordance with the Elysée.

Paris now needs to make sure the assist of the Emirates within the ” war “ declared by the French authorities to drug trafficking. Major drug traffickers from France are stated to have settled there, notably in Dubai, and have typically constructed up spectacular actual property property.

The topic has been omnipresent in France for the reason that assassination, in November, of Mehdi Kessaci, the brother of an activist dedicated towards drug trafficking, shot useless in broad daylight in Marseille. Tuesday, in Marseille, Emmanuel Macron stated he wished to hunt cooperation from nations the place sure “network heads”with a purpose to “to be able to seize their property” and acquire their arrest. Its Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, already demanded in November from the United Arab Emirates the extradition of round fifteen suspected drug traffickers wished by France.

Some of the French troopers deployed within the Emirates contribute to the struggle towards drug trafficking. On the imposing frigate Provencenavy troopers try to identify and intercept boats carrying medicine. They are near the Indian Ocean, an essential route. Traffickers usually cross by way of the Gulf of Aden, in direction of Somalia or Yemen, or in direction of West Africa.

Houthi strikes

In 2025, “more than twenty tons of drugs” had been seized by the French navy within the Indian Ocean space, with a market worth of as much as a number of hundred million euros, in accordance with frigate commander Pascal Forissier. So many narcotics off the market. But, the soldier acknowledges, the seizures don’t characterize “only a small part” of all of the medicine in circulation.

Drug trafficking is just one aspect of their duties. France is taking part in operation “Aspides”, which protects boats towards Houthi strikes within the Red Sea. In addition, French troopers within the Emirates are engaged in Operation “Chammal”, inside the coalition towards the Islamic State (IS) group.

According to the French presidency, the presence of troops within the Emirates illustrates France’s need to take care of a capability “autonomous action in a tense international context”. On Monday, Emmanuel Macron needs to be within the entrance row to look at French navy property within the space throughout an indication organized to conclude his go to.