AP
French President Nicolas Sarkozy (right) shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar Assad (left) upon his arrival at the Elysée Palace in Paris yesterday.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has welcomed his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, to the Elysée Palace, according to a BBC report.

The meeting marks a return to the world stage for the Syrian president, after France accused Damascus of involvement in ex-Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri's death.

The BBC reports that the talks are already producing results, with Sarkozy indicating that Syria and Lebanon had agreed to open embassies in each others' capitals.

Diplomatic ties

Diplomatic ties between the two nations ceased after Hariri's killing in 2005.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, Assad also said he wanted France and the United States to contribute to peace efforts between Syria and Israel. But the BBC cited a Reuters news report that Sarkozy stated that conditions were not yet right for direct Syria-Israel talks.

Sarkozy also said he would visit Syria for talks before mid-September.

The French president will later host a meeting between Assad and Lebanon's newly-elected president, Michel Suleiman, a day after the formation of a new unity government in Beirut.

The Paris visit is a big boost for Assad, helping Syria to break out of its diplomatic isolation, says BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs.

Too much of a reward

But critics say Assad's reception in Paris is too much of a reward, when there are still serious question marks over human rights in Syria and its alleged role in the killing of Hariri.

Earlier yesterday, Sarkozy held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who will be a key player in the French leader's plan for a union of Mediterranean states, the BBC correspondent adds. Sarkozy is hosting a summit today to launch this union, which will be attended by 43 leaders of countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Only Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is expected to boycott it.