French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit the Middle East to "seek the paths of peace" between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said the Elysee Palace on Wednesday.
Sarkozy will travel to Egypt, the Palestinian territories and Israel on Jan. 5, and Syria and Lebanon on Jan. 6.
In a televised New Year message on Wednesday night, the president told the country that he will fly on Monday to the Middle East to try to restore peace. "France will continue to act in Africa and Asia and, of course in the Middle East where I will visit from Monday, because it is France's duty to seek the paths of peace," he said.
According to his office, Sarkozy will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday. He will have discussions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, and with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Beirut the next day.
France has called for a 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid into the region, but Israel said the proposal was"unrealistic."
Source:Xinhua
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