Syrian President meets French counterpart

(18 Dec 2002)

1. Various of French honour guard taking up positions to formally receive the Syrian leader
2. Syrian President Bachar al-Assad steps from a car and is greeted by Jacques Chirac
3. Leaders pose for photos on steps
4. Various of Chirac and Assad talking
5. Exterior with waiting media
6. Leaders emerge and pose for more pictures
7. Various of two leaders talking
8. Various of leaders shaking hands and waving
9. Assad departs

STORYLINE:

France believes that it is up to the United Nations (UN) to judge eventual "doubts or interrogations" concerning Iraq's declaration on weapons of mass destruction, a French presidential spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Catherine Colonna, spokeswoman of French President Jacques Chirac, made the remarks after a meeting between Chirac and his Syrian counterpart Bachar al-Assad, who stopped off in Paris following a visit to London.

The 75-minute talks between the two leaders dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the crisis in Iraq, Colonna said, adding that France would listen "attentively" to the views of weapons inspectors.

Hans Blix, chief UN arms inspector, and Mohamed El Baradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will present their evaluation of Iraq's weapons declaration to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

American press reported that US President George W. Bush is expected to declare on Thursday that Iraq has violated United Nations resolution 1441 requiring it to disclose all its weapons of mass destruction.

Earlier on Wednesday, Britain said Iraq's declaration on weapons of mass destruction was an "obvious falsehood" and contained "obvious omissions."

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