Sarkozy hints at Syrian ties

French Nicolas Sarkozy said France is ready to resume normal contacts with Syria once it cooperates in Lebanon by allowing the election of a president, in an interview published yesterday.

"It is from the moment there is a concrete result obtained in Lebanon that we can evisage a real normalization and resumption of a true dialogue with Damascus on all regional subjects and not only on" Lebanon, Sarkozy was quoted as saying in the Saudi daily Al Hayat.

"What we are waiting for is for Lebanese politicians to assume their responsibilities and put into action an Arab plan, beginning with the immediate election of the consensus [presidential] candidate Michel Sleiman," he said.

"That presupposes as well that all regional parties, beginning with Syria, play a positive role in this," said Sarkozy, who was to begin a three-nation Gulf tour in Saudia Arabia yesterday.

Sarkozy normal contacts with Syria broken off late last month, accusing Damascus of failing to match its words about wanting a settlement to the crisis in Lebanon with deeds on the ground.

The government of pro-Western Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has accused the pro-Syrian opposition of repeatedly blocking the vote at the behest of Damascus after the two sides reached agreement on army chief Sleiman as a compromise candidate.

Lebanon been without a president since pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down on Nov. 23 with no elected successor because of bitter rivalry between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps.

The Arab initiative is based on a three-point plan that calls for the election of Sleiman as president, the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of a new electoral law.

Although the ruling coalition has given the plan its full backing, the Shiite militant group Hezbollah is insisting the opposition be granted a third of the seats in a new 30-member government so as to have veto power over key decisions.

Sarkozy called for increased international pressure on Iran over its refusal to halt its contested nuclear program.

"Iran is persistent in not respecting its international obligations, we want to continue to increase international pressure within the [UN] Security Council and European Union, until the country fulfills all its international obligations, that is to say it suspends sensitive activities and implements supplementary guarantees sought by the IAEA," Sarkozy said.

When asked if he thought US President George W. Bush could launch a military strike against Iran before he leaves office next year, Sarkozy said "our objective is a solution negotiated within the framework of a multilateral system."