PARIS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group has arrived in the Arabian Sea for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz, French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo announced on Friday.
Speaking to French television channel BFM TV, Rufo said France's position is to help restore freedom of navigation through the strait in a manner that is "entirely defensive" and in full respect of international law.
Rufo said the carrier group's presence in the Gulf region provides the means to "assess the situation and to weigh in on the regional and global diplomatic equation."
According to French media reports, the French flagship passed through the Suez Canal on May 6 before making a several-day stopover in Djibouti, where France maintains a military support base.
France and Britain hosted an international meeting on the Strait of Hormuz in Paris on April 17, bringing together representatives from 51 countries. Following the meeting, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the two countries would lead a defensive multinational mission to help safeguard shipping routes when conditions permit. ■