Sleiman, Fabius assess French aid to Lebanon

President Michel Sleiman assessed French aid to Lebanon and praised the ongoing cooperation between Beirut and Paris during a meeting Friday with former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. Sleiman also hailed the “sacrifices” made by French peacekeepers serving with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon. UNIFIL patrols have been the target of a string of roadside bomb attacks in recent years, with French troops taking the brunt of the assaults. The meeting at the Baabda Palace was also attended by France’s Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton. Fabius, for his part, conveyed the greetings of Francois Hollande, France's opposition Socialist Party candidate for the 2012 French presidential elections. “France's interest in Lebanon will not change,” Fabius was quoted as telling Sleiman. “Instead, it will develop for the benefit of the two countries and peoples to maintain the level of the relationship between them.” Beirut - The Daily star