Egypt said yesterday a decommissioned French warship posed no environmental threat to Egypt, clearing the way for it to enter the Suez Canal after a delay prompted by possible hazardous materials aboard. The aircraft carrier Clemenceau left France in December for a ship-breaking yard in Gujarat, India, amid protests from environmental group Greenpeace, which says the ship contains tonnes of toxic waste that could harm the scrap workers.

The Environment Ministry said the ship "does not represent an environmental danger to Egypt if it is allowed to pass through the Suez Canal", a statement carried by the official Middle East News Agency said.

An official from the Suez Canal Authority, which gives approval for ships to pass, said the ship would be allowed to proceed after a routine technical check.

Greenpeace says the 27,000-tonne ship contains hundreds of tonnes of hazardous materials, including 500 tonnes of asbestos, which could pose a severe risk to scrap workers.

The Egyptian authorities had said it was preventing the ship from passing through Suez Canal until it received the necessary official papers about materials on board.

An Egyptian official said earlier that those documents had been received.

Under international and Egyptian law, Egypt can stop ships passing through the canal if they are carrying toxic waste that has not been properly declared.

The Egyptian statement said the Indian authorities had agreed to receive the ship for scrapping.

PHOTO CAPTION

The asbestos-insulated decommissioned warship Clemenceau (R) leaves Toulon in December 2005, for an Indian breaker's yard. (AFP)