Egypt approves transit for French warship through Suez Canal

PARIS: Egypt finally gave its approval for the Clemenceau, the abestos-laden decommissioned French warship, to transit through the Suez Canal on its way to India for dismantling. The ship had been held up in international waters outside Port Said waiting for clearance in a tense standoff between the French and Egyptian authorities.

"Following the agreement by the French government to export the Clemenceau in its current state and India's agreement to take it for dismantling, the French aircraft carrier does not pose an environmental threat to Egypt," the ministry said in a statement carried by the state news agency, MENA.

The Egyptian authorities had previously claimed that the Basel convention applied to the ship, causing a standoff that briefly threatened to strain relations. Greenpeace and other environmental agencies said they were appalled by the Egyptian decision. "This is a purely political decision and it's shocking," Greenpeace spokesman Martin Besieux told The Hindu.

However, it is not clear whether India's agreement for dismantling the ship is still valid. On 6 January, the Supreme Court's Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes said the ship was violating the Basel Convention and would not be welcome in India. The committee is to meet on January 20 to take a final decision.

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