OREANDA-NEWS France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a strategic agreement to cooperate in the field of energy, the French government announced on Monday. The partnership is aimed at identifying joint investment projects in France, the UAE or elsewhere in the sectors of hydrogen, renewable and nuclear energy."In the currently uncertain energy context, this agreement will pave the way for a stable long-term framework for cooperation, opening the way for new industrial contracts," the statement added.The deal was agreed upon during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan's visit to Paris.

The agreement will reportedly cover diesel supplies in particular.The announcement comes as French President Emmanuel Macron said that the nation should brace for a "very harsh scenario" in the event that Russia turns off natural gas taps.Prior to that, the French government admitted that there was a serious risk that Europe might suffer from gas shortages if Russia were to stop its fuel exports.Last Wednesday, Energy Transformation Minister Agn?s Pannier-Runache said that France had taken "drastic" measures to prepare for winter, increasing its gas storage capacity. Meanwhile, French energy companies Engie, EDF and TotalEnergies urged industries and households to start saving electricity, natural gas and petroleum products ahead of winter as the energy crisis continues to loom large over Europe.

"The best energy is that which we do not consume. We must address the energy demand together by reducing consumption so that we have more leeway," the bosses of the three companies said in a joint article for Le Journal du Dimanche weekly last month.