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| 07/06/2008 Lebanese President Michel Suleiman met with his visiting French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy at the Baabda Presidential Palace on Saturday shortly after the French delegation arrived at Beirut's international airport. Sarkozy arrived at 0715GMT and leaves Beirut at 1315GMT.
After his closed meeting with President Suleiman, Sarkozy and his accompanying delegation held a meeting with the 14 representatives of Lebanese powers who have been engaged in national dialogue, including Hezbollah.
President Suleiman had addressed Sarkozy and expressed hope that Lebanon gains back control on all its territories "while France is under your rule."
The Lebanese President also said that Lebanon supports "France's plan for the Mediterranean Union. We hope it succeeds and we finally reach stability and peace."
Suleiman thanked France and "its mobilization of the international community in the Paris 3 conference." "Lebanon will be fulfill its commitments towards its partners in the international community." the President said.
For his part Sarkozy said that France will work hardly for Lebanon to be a sovereign state. "The French Minister of Economy and Finance will visit Lebanon to take part in rebuilding it and I want to cease the moment to stress on (Prime Minister Francois) Fillon's government support to Lebanon on every level." Sarkozy said.
He addressed his Lebanese counterpart saying: "We will stay by your side to find out the truth behind (former Prime Minister Rafik) Hariri's assassination and the martyrs of assassinations since 2005." The French President also praised the Lebanese army which Suleiman was its commander and said that the Lebanese army is a brave and effective army "that fought terrorism in Nahr al-Bared."
Sarkozy is the first Western head of state to visit the country since Suleiman took office on May 25.
Sarkozy then left Baabda to Kasr el Sanawbar region (the French embassy) to meet the French community in Lebanon.
"I tell you that we will work together and I'm grateful to what you did to improve France's picture in Lebanon," Sarkozy told his fellow citizens. "France's mission will shift to address French aids to schools in Lebanon," he added.
President Suleiman had earlier received Sarkozy and his accompanying delegation including Prime Minister Francois Fillon and French party leaders at the Beirut International Airport.
Speaking at the airport, Sarkozy underlined France's support to Lebanon and its president "whose election is a sign of hope to all the Lebanese." Sarkozy added that he carries a message of friendship and consolidation from the French people to the people of Lebanon stressing "Mediterranean peoples share the same fate." At the end of his speech, the French President turned to his Lebanese counterpart and addressed his saying "dear Michel, you can count on France's political and economic support."
"It is time to look forward to the future that can be built through dialogue. It is time for the Lebanese to join their ranks in Saniora's government to refresh Lebanon's economy and you can count on France's political, economic, cultural commitment," Sarkozy said.
Sarkozy cancelled plans to visit French UN troops in the country to keep the visit "purely political," his office said. Defense minister will visit the troops instead.
In an interview with Lebanese dailies L'Orient-le jour, Annahar and Assafir, Sarkozy said: "For too long the situation of blockage and crisis in Lebanon prevented the progressive resumption of a dialogue" but with the election of the new Lebanese president following the Doha accord, "things are perhaps changing. In any case that is what I would like."
"I had said ... that I would resume contacts with Syria only when positive, concrete developments occurred in Lebanon with a view to getting out of the crisis," Sarkozy told the three newspapers. "One has to concede that the Doha accord, the election of President Suleiman and the return of Fouad Saniora as prime minister are such developments. I have drawn the conclusions and I have called (Syrian President Bashar) Assad to tell him of my desire to see the carrying out of the accord continue," he added. "A new page may be opening in relations between France and Syria," the French President said. | 
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