INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Comoros, a former French colony the currency of which is linked to the euro, retains strong ties with France, which is its main bilateral aid donor and trading partner. However, Mr Sambi, who underwent religious instruction in Iran, has shifted the emphasis of international relations towards the Middle East. Iran and Comoros have signed a number of agreements covering such disparate topics as fishing and women's rights, while investors from the Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates in particular, are being awarded an increasing number of contracts. The closer relations with the Middle East, combined with Mr Sambi's religious credentials and the belief of some analysts that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, a man who the US claims is the leader of al-Qaida in East Africa, has been travelling to Comoros, have raised concerns in the US over a potential move towards a more Islamist political environment.

Source: Comoros: Country outlook