PARIS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande will board the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier on Friday to show the country's determination to combat Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, his office said on Tuesday.
"By meeting (the warship) crew, the president intends to underline France's commitment and its determination to fight this terrorist organization," the Elysee said in a statement.
A year ago, when France intensified strikes against IS targets after the Paris attacks, Hollande visited France's largest warship in the eastern Mediterranean.
In November 2015, the French president decided to send the country's only nuclear-powered surface vessel off Syrian coasts in order to boost the U.S.-led military operation against IS after growing terror threats at home.
France was one of the first European countries to join the international coalition against the IS. Its fighter jets bombed the group in Iraq in 2014 and then IS targets in Syria last year.
