Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and French President Jacques Chirac hailed Wednesday the new relationship between the two countries, a rapprochement allowing France to increase its influence in the Middle East.

It is Sharon's first visit to France since his last meeting with Chirac in July 2001. He said he was "absolutely convinced that this visit will lead to an added reinforcement to relations between France and Israel."

He qualified Chirac as a "great leader of this world" and thanked him for his "precious help" in settling conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sharon also paid homage to Chirac "for his very firm combat against anti-Semitism", the subject that was at the origin of controversy last year after Sharon encouraged French Jews to emigrate "immediately" to Israel, while France had strongly reacted, letting know that Israeli prime minister was not welcome in Paris.

The Israeli prime minister announced he had invited Chirac to his Negev ranch in southern Israel. Chirac was glad about the invitation but did not give immediate reply.

For his part, Chirac hailed the "historic decision" of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, scheduled for mid-August.

He said "On the eve of disengagement from Gaza, I'd like to say that France is standing by the Israeli people and Palestinian people so that we take part again, on the occasion of this historic decision, in the resumption of the process within the roadmap, international peace plan drafted by the Quartet (the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia). "

Chirac reiterated France's stand on the creation of a "viable and independent Palestinian state" and hoped the achievement of this process would allow the Hebraic country to live in security.

They also exchanged views over several sensible issues, such as fight against terrorism, Iranian nuclear threat, Syrian troops pullout from Lebanon and fight against anti-Semitism.

President Chirac told Sharon that France favored a referral of Iran's nuclear issue to the United Nations Security Council if Iran does not give "objective guarantee" on definitive abandoning of sensible nuclear activities.

The warm tone of the two leaders recalled the "honeymoon" marking ties between the two countries before June 1967 Israeli- Arabic war and French embargo on weapons sale to Israel.

A diplomat in Sharon's delegation said that France wanted incontestably return to the Middle East and it understood that it could not do it by skipping Jerusalem.

"Israel is even in favor of a more significant role for France in settling the conflict with the Palestinians," he said.

Sharon said after meeting with Chirac "We have spoken of Syria, Lebanon, Iran and of course the Palestinian issues and bilateral ties. The objective of our two states is to reinforce relationship. "

Source: Xinhua