Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, on Friday yielded to calls for an inquiry into France’s deepening ties with Libya, amid concerns over recent nuclear and weapons deals with Tripoli.

It came just hours after the announcement of a European anti-tank missile deal with Libya. This had prompted opposition demands for a probe into links with the government of Muammer Gadaffi, following unease about France’s role in persuading Tripoli to release six imprisoned Bulgarians last month.