Lebanese president to meet Hollande over Syria
French President François Hollande is to hold talks with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman in Nice on Saturday, according to Beirut sources.
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The meeting comes amid concerns in the region over potential US-led strikes, backed by France, on targets in Syria in response to the regime's alleged use of chemical weapons.
The Franco-Lebanese will be held on Saturday on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Francophone Games in Nice, according to the source.
Hollande has said France is ready to "punish" Assad for the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria on August 21, though the French president has called for wider support for the idea and insists Paris will not act alone.
Preparations for international action against Syria have raised concerns in Lebanon, which has become increasingly embroiled in the conflict in neighbouring Syria.
Lebanon’s powerful Shiite group Hezbollah backs the Syrian regime, and has reportedly put its members on high alert over potential US military action.
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