France’s top diplomat has said a new US-led coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would complement and not compete with a similar mission spearheaded by France and Britain, AFP reports.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, speaking in Abu Dhabi following a regional tour, said he briefed Gulf allies on the UK-France initiative, which was now at an “advanced” stage.
The UK and France have led talks on a separate maritime effort, recently holding a meeting with more than 50 countries.
The US mission is “not of the same nature as the one we established… it comes as a sort of complement”, Barrot said in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, following visits to Saudi Arabia and Oman.
“It is not in competition with the initiative we have launched and on which we are focused,” he added.
Asked whether France would join Washington’s initiative, Barrot said he could not comment at this stage.
The UK-France mission “is now at an advanced stage, the planning has been finalised, and I have come to present the concept of this mission to a number of our closest partners in the region”, he added.
