France’s newly-elected President Nicolas Sarkozy made his first visit to Africa on Tuesday since he became head of state, meeting with his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika in the country’s capital Algiers.

Sarkozy left with the target of promoting one of his projects, the Mediterranean Union, a cooperation between states that would boost security in Europe and develop energy sectors in countries that have an opening to the most important route for merchants of the ancient times.

“The time has come to build together a Mediterranean Union that will be a link between Europe and Africa,” Sarkozy said during his election campaign.

Through this union, the French leader would touch a sensitive cord of the international community: impoverished African nations. Where other leaders failed to find cooperation and offer substantial aid, Sarkozy hopes to succeed. 

The current European Union president, Portugal would also be included in this pact, France aiming at boosting ties between neighbouring countries and establish a committee that would meet regularly, adopting the Group of Eight model.

Sarkozy is expected to discuss the pressing issue of immigrants from Algeria and Tunisia, the next stop scheduled for the politician after the second largest country in Africa.

He made public his intentions to secure a collaboration between French energy giants and similar companies in the oil-rich Algeria. Sarkozy also said during an interview published Tuesday in Algerian papers, the cooperation with France’s former colony would extend to the military sector.

After his stop-over, the former minister of the interior will fly to neighbouring Tunisia on Wednesday, where he will meet General Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the country’s second president.