French-Arab ties are centuries old and rooted in tradition

The relations between France and the Arab world go back to more than 13 centuries. The first recorded contact was established between the King of the Franks, Charlemagne, and Caliph Haroun Al Rashid who ruled Baghdad during the same period.

France's geographical proximity to the Middle East and North Africa has led to a close intertwining of the two regions' histories.

At various times during the past, the relationship between France and Arab countries witnessed several mutations, passing from tension and war to a more peaceful and comprehensive interaction, with the two cultures learning to know and appreciate each other with the passage of time.

Throughout its history France has been dominated by two ideas – that of humanism which is based on the notion of cultural interaction, and colonialism inspired by the spirit of domination.

With the development of the industrial revolution, the second idea prevailed, reinforced by the need to secure raw materials from the colonies. The colonisation period started with the expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte to Egypt in 1798. It contributed to the study of ancient Egyptian history through the deciphering of hieroglyphics, and enhanced the march of modernisation that would be pursued by the then Egyptian ruler Mohammad Ali in 1805 after the departure of the French expedition.

In 1830, France colonised Algeria and resettlement programmes were implemented to encourage French citizens to settle in Algeria, giving birth to the concept of French-Algeria. Tunisia was colonised in 1881 and, in 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate.

After World War I, France pursued its colonial policy by annexing the territories of the Ottoman Empire. At the San Remo Conference in 1920, France obtained a mandate over the Levant, comprising Greater Syria and Lebanon. Nevertheless, when World War II broke out in 1939 and after the surrender of France to Nazi Germany in 1940, Syria came under the control of the Vichy government installed in France by the Nazis.

British and Free French forces, however, invaded and colonised Syria in 1941. The entry of Allied troops brought a promise from the Free French leader General Charles de Gaulle of eventual independence, saying that the mandate would remain in existence until a new French government legally brought it to an end.

Syria and Lebanon acquired their independence at the end of the World War II. In 1955, France granted Tunisia an autonomous government, and full independence was negotiated in 1956. Morocco obtained its independence in 1956.

In Algeria, nationalist movements emerged between the two World Wars, forcing France to agree to the idea of independence. In 1958, De Gaulle announced a referendum allowing Algerians to choose between independence or remaining part of France. De Gaulle's offer was considered a betrayal by the French colonials who staged an insurrection in Algiers in 1960. In 1961, the results of the referendum showed that 70 per cent in Algeria and 76 per cent in France voted for limited governance for Algeria. Algeria gained its independence in 1962.

Indeed, the end of World War II marked the emergence of a new era in French policy. The independence of its colonies was becoming an inescapable reality, something that De Gaulle, founder of the fifth republic, understood clearly. After the independence of its colonies, France initiated a reconciliation and cooperation policy with the Arab World.

The presidency of De Gaulle in 1958 constituted a turning point in France's policy in the Middle East. In the 1950s, France used to be a close ally of Israel, supplying it with arms and weapons, including facilities for a nuclear programme. The relationship reached a breaking point when Israel declared the six-day war in 1967 against Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

In response, France announced a total arms embargo to Israel, and the ending of its support of Israel's nuclear programme. After the war, France supported the implementation of Security Council Resolution 242, stipulating the immediate withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Since that time, France has reiterated this position. President Giscard D'Estaing (1974-1981) adhered to the same stand; he recognised the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and called for a direct dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).

At the same time and in order to reinforce its position as an active player in the Middle East and to differentiate itself from the U.S. policy in the region, France developed special ties with Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.

President Francois Mitterrand (1981-1995) tried to re-establish a close dialogue with Israel and at the same time pursued the approach of his predecessors by officially receiving in 1988 the leader of the PLO, Yasser Arafat. This move marked France's determination to help resolve the Middle East conflict through direct dialogue. Thus, by recognising the Palestinian leadership, it opened the path for open negotiations between the parties involved in the conflict.

The second Gulf War reduced France's margin of manoeuvre, allowing the U.S. to be the main power in the region. France constantly attempted to regain its place as the key foreign player in the Middle East peace negotiations. In 1996, France helped implement an agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel. President Jacques Chirac tried to develop a European policy different from the U.S. and denounced the continuing American support of Israel.

During the events of the past few months and the Israeli re-occupation of the Palestinian Territories, the French government tried to reason with Israel to stop its aggression against the Palestinians and reiterated the need for the revival of peace negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement that will lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

In essence, a review of the French policy in the region clearly shows that France has developed through the years an "Arab policy" to counterbalance the American support to Israel.

The strategic partnership of France with the region's countries cannot be reduced to its role in the Middle East conflict. In fact, France maintains important economic and commercial relations with the Arab world.

According to the statistics of 2000, French exports to the Arab countries were estimated at more than Ff105 billion (Ff1 equals to Dh0.5) and its imports from the Arab countries represented Ff95 billion. Compared with 1999 figures, imports have increased by 50 per cent, and exports by 11 per cent.

In 1999, among France's 50 main commercial partners, eight were Arab countries.

In 2000, exports to France by The Union of the Arab Maghreb, France's biggest partner in the Arab world, represented Ff50 billion and their imports were estimated at Ff58 billion.

Among these countries, Algeria is the top commercial partner with exports to France equivalent to Ff16 billion and imports from France equal to Ff18 billion.

The GCC countries are the second b