France to meet US request for naval help

France has said it will meet a US request for naval cooperation in the Indian Ocean and has approved the use of its airspace …

France has said it will meet a US request for naval cooperation in the Indian Ocean and has approved the use of its airspace by US military aircraft, a spokeswoman for President Jacques Chirac said today.

Spokeswoman Ms Catherine Colonna told reporters of the decision after President Chirac met Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and his defence, finance, foreign and interior ministers to discuss the consequences of the September 11th attacks on the United States.

No further details were immediately available on the nature of the request made by the United States or how France planned to respond to it.