Dubai Ports World Will Give U.S. Control Of Ports

The United Arab Emirates-owned Dubai Ports World announced March 9 that it would transfer U.S. port operations to "a United States entity" to preserve bilateral relations, according to a DP World statement read by U.S. Senator John Warner.

"Because of the strong relations between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operations of P and O Ports North America to a United States entity," Warner said, reading the statement on the Senate floor.

Warner, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he had received the statement from DP World's chief operating officer Edward Bilkey.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006