Miqati Heads to Paris in February

Prime Minister Najib Miqati is expected to travel to France in February at the invitation of his French counterpart Francois Fillon, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Sunday.

Sources told the daily that the visit was scheduled for late January, but French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Premier Fillon, and Foreign Minister Alain Juppe’s busy schedule delayed the visit to February.

The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Sunday that the visit was postponed to February 12.

Al-Liwaa newspaper reported in December that Miqati will discuss during his trip the latest developments in the region and Lebanon, bilateral ties and the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

In September, the premier traveled to France to attend the "Friends of Libya" conference at the Elysee palace to discuss funding for war-shattered Libya, as well as police training and diplomatic recognition for its future administration.

However, Miqati only met then with Juppe.