France/Syria

Sarkozy invites Assad to Paris

Article published on the 2008-06-12 Latest update 2008-06-13 08:20 TU

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
(File photo: AFP)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy invited his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to attend Bastille Day celebrations in the French capital after a Mediterranean summit next month, officals said Thursday. The move suggests a possible thaw in tense relations between the two countries stemming in part from the Hezbollah-Israel conflict in 2006.

"A new page may be opening in relations between France and Syria," Sarkozy said while visiting Beirut last week.

France has re-opened dialogue with Syria since Michel Sleiman was elected the president of Lebanon last month, effectively ending months of sectarian violence.

Syrian Cultural Minister Riad Naassan Agha was in Paris on Tuesday. His visit, the first by a Syrian government member in three years, confirmed a more friendly stance with Syria.

France has until now gone along with US assertions that Syria, a former power-broker in Lebanon, meddled needlessly in their neighbour's affairs.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday she hoped Paris would send the right message to Damascus, specifically on Lebanon-Israel relations.

Syria started an indirect dialogue with Israel through Turkish mediation last month after an eight-year silence. New talks next week were announced on Wednesday.

Assad is among the 50 heads of state and government invited to take part in the 13 July launch of the Union for the Mediterranean, a Sarkozy initiative. The guests are also invited to stay for the Bastille Day ceremonies in Paris the next day. This year's guest of honour is former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.