French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday in Beirut that France wants to be friends with all Lebanese and wants Lebanon to be free and independent, local Naharnet website reported.
Following his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman upon his arrival in Lebanon, Sarkozy said that France wants the upcoming Lebanese elections in June to be transparent.
After meeting with Suleiman, Sarkozy headed to south Lebanon to inspect French brigades working under United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"I know you have been away from your families, but you chose this profession to show the world what you can do," Sarkozy told the French troops.
On Monday, Sarkozy told several Lebanese dailies that his message to the Lebanese people is simply to continue efforts towards dialogue and reconciliation.
"I believe the Lebanese together are achieving something exceptional," he said, adding that the international community, particularly France, support Lebanon in achieving that.
He said that Lebanon and Syria are now cooperating "to restore cooperation based on trust and mutual respect."
The French president sponsored talks last summer between Suleiman and his Syrian counterpart Basher Assad, reaching an agreement to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries for the first time since their independence.
Sarkozy is currently on a Middle East tour in a bid to seek a ceasefire in Gaza, which has taken him to Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Syria.
Source:Xinhua
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