PARIS (AP) \u2014 French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the leader of the United Arab Emirates on Monday to ensure energy supplies from the oil-rich Gulf country as Europe prepares for the\u00a0possibility of a total cutoff of Russian natural gas\u00a0in retaliation for sanctions over the\u00a0war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is in Paris on the first state visit to France since he was appointed president of the Western-allied nation of seven sheikhdoms in May. Sheikh Mohammed has been the nation\u2019s de facto leader since 2014 and has built new alliances across the Middle East and Europe. He\u00a0met with U.S. President Joe Biden\u00a0over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France has deep ties to the UAE, and the two leaders have developed a personal relationship. It paid off during Macron\u2019s visit to Abu Dhabi last year that resulted in a\u00a016 billion-euro ($18 billion) arms deal\u00a0with the Gulf ally, the largest-ever French weapons contract for export.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The leaders will focus on the\u00a0war in Ukraine and resulting energy supply issues\u00a0for France and Europe, according to a French presidency official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity in line with customary policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official added that Macron and Sheikh Mohammed are \u201cworking on the signing of a bilateral agreement on hydrocarbons and on guarantees for the supply of hydrocarbons\u201d to France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As war in Ukraine rages into the sixth month and Europe is in the grip of a\u00a0sweltering heat wave, the European Union countries are bracing for a\u00a0potential Russian gas shutdown\u00a0amid\u00a0soaring energy prices, inflation and a cost-of-living crisis\u00a0across the 27-member bloc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia has cut off or reduced natural gas\u00a0\u2014 which keeps industry running, generates electricity and heats homes in the winter \u2014 to a dozen European countries. A\u00a0major gas pipeline also closed for scheduled maintenance\u00a0last week, and there are fears that flows through Nord Stream 1 between Russia and Germany will not restart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leaders have been\u00a0scrambling to fill underground storage\u00a0by the beginning of fall in an effort to avert an economic and political crisis in winter. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is visiting Algeria on Monday to\u00a0finalize deals boosting natural gas supplies\u00a0from the North African country to Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron said last week that his government would\u00a0prepare a \u201csobriety plan\u201d to conserve energy\u00a0and that France keeps looking to diversify gas sources. He called for a faster shift toward offshore windfarms and more European cross-border energy cooperation \u201cas we prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said last month that the country has been in discussions with the UAE regarding supplies of oil and diesel to find \u201can alternative to Russian petrol.\u201d The UAE could provide a \u201ctemporary solution,\u201d Le Maire told the French radio station Europe1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in Parliament last week that the French energy giant is \u201cdiscussing an agreement to have access to diesel and fuel from the Emirates this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the company\u2019s efforts are part of the French initiative to secure sufficient energy and make up for loss of Russian supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UAE\u2019s energy exports to France are dominated by refined petroleum products and reached the record sum of 1.5 billion euros in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Energy Information Agency cites figures estimating the UAE holds the seventh-largest proven reserves of natural gas in the world, at over 215 trillion cubic feet. The country, which lies on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula along the Persian Gulf, is among world\u2019s 10 largest oil producers, with most of country\u2019s oil and gas wealth concentrated in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human rights groups have called on Macron to remind his UAE counterpart of his country\u2019s poor human rights record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor years, the UAE has systematically crushed dissent,\u201d Human Rights Watch said in a statement ahead of Monday\u2019s visit. \u201cActivists, lawyers, teachers, students, and those deemed critics are arrested, prosecuted, and detained, women and LGBT people face discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an example of the ties between the nations, French warplanes and personnel are stationed in a major facility outside the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, which is also the home of The Louvre museum and Sorbonne university outlets in the Gulf nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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