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France, UAE Sign Strategic Energy Agreement

© AFP 2023 / LUDOVIC MARINFrance's President Emmanuel Macron welcomes United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for a working lunch at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on July 18, 2022.
France's President Emmanuel Macron welcomes United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for a working lunch at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on July 18, 2022.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 18.07.2022
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French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Paris on Monday, with increased energy supplies on the agenda of their official talks.
France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a strategic agreement to cooperate in the field of energy, the French government announced on Monday. The partnership is aimed at identifying joint investment projects in France, the UAE or elsewhere in the sectors of hydrogen, renewable and nuclear energy.
"In the currently uncertain energy context, this agreement will pave the way for a stable long-term framework for cooperation, opening the way for new industrial contracts," the statement added.
The deal was agreed upon during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan's visit to Paris. The agreement will reportedly cover diesel supplies in particular.
The announcement comes as French President Emmanuel Macron said that the nation should brace for a "very harsh scenario" in the event that Russia turns off natural gas taps.
"We may have to do completely without Russian gas. It is a very harsh scenario and we must be prepared for it," Macron said in an interview to TF1 and France 2 television channels last week.
Gas burner - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.07.2022
Energy Crisis in Europe
France Takes 'Drastic' Measures to Prepare for Winter, Fills Gas Storage, Minister Says
Prior to that, the French government admitted that there was a serious risk that Europe might suffer from gas shortages if Russia were to stop its fuel exports.
"There is a risk of gas shortage, which France and Europe consider very important. In the face of this threat [suspension of Russian gas exports] we are increasing the capacity of our gas storage facilities to 100%. Apart from that, we are diversifying gas supplies... But yes, the risk of gas shortage does exist," French cabinet spokesman Olivier Veran told journalists last week.
Last Wednesday, Energy Transformation Minister Agnès Pannier-Runache said that France had taken "drastic" measures to prepare for winter, increasing its gas storage capacity. Meanwhile, French energy companies Engie, EDF and TotalEnergies urged industries and households to start saving electricity, natural gas and petroleum products ahead of winter as the energy crisis continues to loom large over Europe.
"The best energy is that which we do not consume. We must address the energy demand together by reducing consumption so that we have more leeway," the bosses of the three companies said in a joint article for Le Journal du Dimanche weekly last month.
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