France and Tunisia signed accords on nuclear cooperation and immigration on Monday, the first day of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's state visit to the North African nation.
The accords were the first in a spate of deals — including a Tunisian airline's possible purchase of more than a dozen Airbus aircraft — aimed at strengthening economic and political ties between France and its former protectorate.
PARIS: Six months into his term, President Nicolas Sarkozy is aggressively pursuing a new policy to give Muslim countries access to nuclear power - and win lucrative contracts for France's energy champions in the process.
After signing a memorandum of understanding with Libya in the summer, Sarkozy struck a preliminary cooperation accord with Morocco last month. Diplomats say he is planning to discuss nuclear power during trips to Algeria in December and Saudi Arabia in January.
