Officials: France officially asks to rejoin NATO

Move to rejoin command structure would end country's 43-year absence

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updated 3:00 p.m. ET March 20, 2009

PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy submitted a letter officially requesting to rejoin the NATO command structure following a 43-year absence, officials said.

A French official and a NATO official said Friday a letter had been presented to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer during an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday.

Both officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. They did not immediately provide details on the letter's contents.

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Earlier this month, Sarkozy had said that France would rejoin NATO's integrated military command because he wanted to participate fully in crafting alliance policy.

The French government easily survived a no-confidence vote over Sarkozy's plan.