Sarkozy to Suleiman: Lebanon Stability, Freedom More Vital than Ever

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday reiterated “France’s firm commitment towards respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as a result of the special ties between the two countries.”

In a letter he sent to President Michel Suleiman, Sarkozy stressed that “Lebanon’s stability and freedom are now more vital than ever,” noting that “Lebanon and France, as usual, must stand by each other and demonstrate their common determination in the face of hardships.”

The French president also thanked his Lebanese counterpart for the letter he sent condemning the recent bomb attack on French troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

A roadside bomb wounded five French U.N. peacekeepers on patrol in southern Lebanon on December 9, in an attack Suleiman said was aimed at driving French troops out of the country.

France has one of the largest UNIFIL contingents with 1,300 soldiers.

In July, six French UNIFIL troops were wounded, one of them seriously, in the southern coastal town of Sidon, in a similar attack. In May, six Italian peacekeepers were wounded in Sidon, also in a roadside bombing.

Three Spanish and three Colombian peacekeepers were killed in June 2007 when a booby-trapped car exploded as their patrol vehicle drove by.