France, India will halt barbarism of Taliban: Sarkozy

September 25th, 2009 Sarkozy gives Iran December deadlinePITTSBURGH — French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy says Iran faces possible new international sanctions if it doesn't come clean on its nuclear program by December. Sarkozy said that Iran was in clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions in building a second plant to manufacture nuclear fuel and trying to hide if from the world for years.

September 17th, 2009 France: EU calls for global cap on bank payBRUSSELS — French President Nicolas Sarkozy says that EU leaders have agreed to impose a cap on bankers' pay. He told reporters that all 27 EU nations are in "total unity" that the world cannot repeat the "scandal" of bonuses for executives and traders that encouraged banks to take huge risks.

July 26th, 2009 PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy was taken to hospital Sunday after falling ill while exercising, French media reports said. France Info radio said the incident occurred before noon at his residence in Versailles.

July 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has urged the US to halt its drone attacks in the country, a media report said Wednesday. In an interview with a private TV Channel, Malik said all the parliamentarians and the entire nation have condemned the attacks.

July 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - France has assured India that it was ready for full civil nuclear cooperation with India, including transfer of sensitive technologies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament Friday. (French) President Sarkozy was categorical in asserting that France is ready for full civilian nuclear cooperation with India, Singh said here Friday.

July 16th, 2009 Sharm-el-SHEIKH - French President Nicolas Sarkozy has assured Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that there is no ban on Sikhs wearing turbans in his country. Sarkozy's assurance came after Manmohan Singh handed over to him a 'non-official' memo two days ago in Paris, official sources said here Thursday.

July 14th, 2009 PARIS/NEW DELHI - The G8 declaration on inhibiting the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies (ENR) to those countries who have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would have no effect on India, Indian officials said here ahead of the meeting between Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday. "We are receiving no help from anybody," official sources said.

July 14th, 2009 PARIS - India and France Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Nicolas Sarkozy discussed an array of issues including the threat from international terrorism. At a working lunch in the French capital, the two leaders discussed the situation in the sub-continent and regional and global issues including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, the Middle East.

July 14th, 2009 PARIS - India and France Tuesday resolved to scale up bilateral ties as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrapped up a 24-hour official visit here with a working lunch with President Nicolas Sarkozy who honoured him by making him the chief guest at the colourful national day parade that had contingents of Indian armed forces particpating. Officials said the two leaders discussed the situation in the subcontinent and regional and global issues including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, the Middle East.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris early next week, Pakistan's alleged misuse of international aid as well as other issues will be on the table when the two leaders meet for a working lunch. "The situation in Pakistan will figure in the discussions, diplomatic sources said here.

July 10th, 2009 L'AQUILA - French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pushing for an expansion of the Group of Eight (G8). "The G8 are no longer representative enough to manage the economic crisis," Sarkozy said Thursday in L'Aquila, Italy, after the close of the second day of the summit of the world's seven leading industrialised democracies plus Russia.

June 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday condoled the loss of lives in the Air France jetliner tragedy and in separate letters to President Nikolas Sarkozy of France and President Lula da Silva of Brazil expressed grief over the tragedy. I am deeply distressed to hear about the tragedy that has struck Air France's Flight AF 447 which was on its way from Brazil to France.

May 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Underlining global confidence in India's growing stature, French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday warmly congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his re-election and invited him to Paris as chief guest on France's national day July 14. 'Through the elections which were recently concluded and which constitute a remarkable testimony to their attachment to democracy, the Indian people have chosen to repose once again their trust in the representatives of the Congress Party and the alliance that it leads,' Sarkozy said in his message to Manmohan Singh.

May 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congratulating India for the 'remarkable conduct' of the Indian general elections, France Sunday underlined its keen desire to intensify bilateral ties and reaffirmed support for a bigger role for India in global bodies. In a letter to his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil, French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to 'the faithfulness of the largest democracy in the world to the values of liberty, people's sovereignty and respect of diversity in secularism.' Sarkozy also expressed his 'delight' at pursuing and intensifying the strategic partnership 'which links our two countries in the service of peace, sustainable development and the fight against global scourges such as international terrorism.' He reaffirmed France's support for rightful place for India in international multilateral institutions 'so as to build a controlled globalisation in the service of human development and peace'.

January 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Reaffirming support for India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sent Republic Day greetings to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and expressed his desire to take bilateral ties to a new level. Sarkozy also invited Manmohan Singh, who is recovering from a heart bypass surgery, to visit Paris before the G20 summit in London so that the two countries can hone common approaches on issues like global financial crisis that will be at the heart of multilateral negotiations this year.