French President Nicolas Sarkozy will send to Beirut a top envoy on a mission most probably linked to the cabinet crisis in Lebanon, a diplomatic source told al-Liwaa daily.
The envoy would visit Lebanon in a period not later than end of this month, the source added.

He refused to name the top official and discuss the nature of his mission. However, involved sources told al-Liwaa that the French official will discuss the difficulties facing cabinet formation.

Sleiman calls for creation of senate
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said on Tuesday that all efforts would be deployed to hold democratic polls and allow the Lebanese to “freely express their will.” During his second-day state visit to Paris, Sleiman met with Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe at the Hotel de Ville.

In remarks to reporters, Delanoe said any violation of Lebanese sovereignty “would be met by a strong response by the French people.”

He added: “Lebanon cannot be but an independent state; I already told this to Syrian President Bashar Assad.”

“The Lebanese should enjoy free will on their own territory,” Delanoe said.

Sleiman laid a wreath of flowers during a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, before attending a meeting with French Senate President Gerard Larcher at the Senate in Paris.

In remarks following the meeting, Sleiman said: “The Senate is a very important body of the state,” and added: “We, in Lebanon, should work to form a Senate after creating a national committee to abolish confessionalism.”

Larcher, for his part, underlined the “special friendly ties between France and Lebanon.”

Sleiman is in France for a three-day state visit focusing on French military and economic assistance to Lebanon.

He also met Tuesday with former President Jacques Chirac.

Sleiman, whose visit comes as Lebanon prepares to open its first-ever embassy in former powerbroker Syria and gears up for legislative elections in June, met on Monday with Sarkozy for almost an hour ahead of a banquet dinner held by the French president in his honor.

“This visit shows Lebanon’s value in France’s eyes, and the French president’s support for the Lebanese government and people,” Sleiman told reporters after their talks.

“France has always supported and promoted the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon,” he added.

Sleiman said there was a “total convergence of views” between Paris and Beirut on Lebanese ties with Syria, and the wider Middle East peace process.

Sleiman told Sarkozy that faster progress would be made in Lebanese internal affairs and in ties with Damascus in the aftermath of the June 7 elections.

Asked by reporters whether he received guarantees there would be no compromises in the region at Lebanon’s expense, Sleiman said: “We definitely got and we already know that France will not allow any settlements at Lebanon’s expense.”

Sarkozy assured Sleiman of “France’s full support for efforts to consolidate the independence and unity of Lebanon,” the French presidency said.

A Lebanese government official told AFP the visit would also focus on French military and economic aid to Lebanon.

France has 1,900 troops serving as part of a UN force in south Lebanon, although it announced in January plans to withdraw two warships monitoring waters off the Lebanese coast.

Sarkozy said he was following up on Lebanon’s defense strategy dialogue and warned that safeguarding the public was a fundamental mission of the Lebanese government.

“France is extremely cautious in following up on the defense strategy being prepared [by the various Lebanese leaders] … to allow the Lebanese state, exclusively, to ensure defense of the country,” Sarkozy said.

“In a country that enjoys sovereignty, no party but the state is allowed to provide security,” he added.

“You can count on our support in this regard,” the French president stressed.

Regarding the Mideast peace process, Sarkozy said: “2009 should be the year of peace in the Middle East; and Lebanon should be an effective player.”

He also stressed that his country did not support any side against the other in Lebanon.

Paris “stands by those who work in Lebanon’s interests,” he told Sleiman.

Sarkozy also expressed his country’s readiness to support Lebanon in political, military, cultural and economic fields. – The Daily Star, with AFP

PARIS (AFP) — Lebanese President Michel Sleiman kicked off a three-day state visit to France Monday, holding talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy who pledged his full support for the reconciliation process in Lebanon.

France rolled out the red carpet for the Lebanese leader, who was escorted across the River Seine to the official guest residence of the Elysee Palace by mounted republican guards.

Sleiman, whose visit comes as Lebanon prepares to open its first ever embassy in former powerbroker Syria and gears up for legislative elections in June, met with Sarkozy for almost an hour ahead of a banquet dinner.

“This visit shows Lebanon’s value in France’s eyes, and the French president’s support for the Lebanese government and people,” Sleiman told reporters after their talks.

“France has always supported and promoted the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon.”

Sleiman’s visit was expected to focus on the diplomatic with Damascus, which was spurred by former colonial power France.

The Lebanese leader said there was a “total convergence of views” between Paris and Beirut on Lebanese relations with Syria, and the wider Middle East peace process.

Sarkozy assured Sleiman of “France’s full support for efforts to consolidate the independence and unity of Lebanon,” the French presidency said.

Lebanon’s June 7 elections vote will be the first since the Western-backed parliamentary majority and the Syria- and Iran-backed opposition reached a deal in May 2008, ending a crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war.

A Lebanese government official told AFP the visit would also focus on French military and economic assistance to Lebanon.

France has 1,900 troops serving as part of a UN force in south Lebanon, although it announced in January plans to withdraw two warships monitoring waters off the Lebanese coast.

On Tuesday Sleiman was due to hold talks with Prime Minister Francois Fillon and visit both houses of parliament, before returning to Lebanon Wednesday.