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Rice Meets with French President, Foreign Minister
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(http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=F6098E:3919ACA

US Secretary of State will discuss situation in Lebanon with French
President Jacques Chirac





French President Jacques Chirac, right, gestures as he speaks with
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Paris, FridayU.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with French leaders in Paris
Friday before making an unscheduled visit to Russia.

The situation in Lebanon is high on the agenda for Ms. Rice's talks
with French President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Philippe
Douste-Blazy. France and the United States worked together last year
to develop resolutions in the United Nations demanding Syria's
withdrawal from Lebanon.

Later in the day, Secretary Rice leaves for Moscow for talks on
Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin focusing on Iran's
nuclear program.

Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear energy plant. Tehran has denied
U.S. allegations that it is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons.

The nuclear issue is also on the agenda when Ms. Rice visits Britain
later this week.


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