20110214
RFI

Egyptian authorities on Monday asked France to freeze the assets of former high-level Egyptian politicians, according to the French Foreign Ministry, but not those of former president Hosni Mubarak and his family.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Bernard Valero, said that France was looking into the request, and would cooperate with the Egyptian authorities, without giving further details.

Germany and Britain have received similar requests.

Earlier on Monday, French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said that Paris was ready to help Egyptian authorities to look into Mubarak's assets in France.

She was echoing statements coming from the office of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton who said that the bloc was ready to take appropriate measures against Mubarak, if necessary and in consultation with the Egyptian authorities.

The EU froze assets of former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family at the request of the Tunisian government.

Switzerland on Friday, when Mubarak stepped down as President, imposed a three-year freeze on any assets belonging to Mubarak as a preventative measure, without waiting for a request from Egyptian authorities. Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Junker on Monday did not rule out a similar move.