Radio France Internationale and Deutsche Welle are to join forces to broadcast their programmes in the Arab world and states of the Commonwealth of of Independent States (made up of countries from the former Soviet Union).
Both broadcasters are looking at ways to air some DW Arabic-language programmes on Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East to gain more listeners. RFI will also help DW to develop its Arabic programmes.
DW and RFI are also considering sharing frequencies in Moscow, St Petersburg and parts of the CIS to enable RFI to broadcast its own French and Russian programmes alongside DW Russian and German programmes.
Both broadcasters have already been working together since January 2003 to produce programmes and study the use of shared FM frequencies, in particular in the Balkans.