French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Libreville Friday afternoon for a short working visit.
The French leader was received on arrival by his Gabonese counterpart Omar Bongo Ondimba who was accompanied by his vice- president Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge, Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong, as well as senior government officials and other dignitaries.
After the playing of two countries' national anthems, the two leaders inspected a brief military parade at Libreville international airport, after which they left for their first closed door meeting at the presidential palace.
Gabon is seeking France's support in its efforts to be removed form the list of countries with intermediary revenue, which will enable the country to access external assistance at favorable conditions.
Furthermore, Gabonese experts are optimistic about a possible reduction of debt owned to France following Sarkozy's visit.
This is the new French president's first visit to the country. His predecessors, Georges Pompidou, Valery Giscard D' Estaing, Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac visited Gabon in the first year of their presidential term.
Gabon and France enjoy excellent bilateral cooperation relations. Gabon enjoys a priviledged status in relations between France and Africa. France has a military base holding nearly a thousand French soldiers.
Approximately 8,000 French citizens live in Gabon while only 4, 000 to 5,000 Gabonese live in France.
Source: Xinhua
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