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France will stand by US - Sarkozy
08/11/2007 11:30 - (SA)
Mount Vernon, Virginia - French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to the United States on Wednesday and vowed to back the US stand on Iran and Afghanistan as he sought to forge a new era in cross-Atlantic ties.
Hoping to turn the page on four years of frosty relations over the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Sarkozy solemnly vowed to nurture the historic friendship between the two countries and pledged to stand by Washington on some burning issues.
"We may have differences, we may disagree on things, we may even have arguments, as in many families," Sarkozy told the US Congress in a rare address to the two chambers by a foreign dignitary.
"But in times of difficulty, in times of hardship, one stands true to one's friends, one stands shoulder to shoulder with them, one supports them, and one helps them."
Gone were the days when French fries were struck from the Congress menu here as unpatriotic, as US lawmakers rose to their feet to give Sarkozy a three-minute standing ovation when he swept into the wood-panelled chamber.
In lingering references to the US role in World War II, the new French leader vowed the French people would never forget their debt to the Americans. "France will never forget the sacrifice of your children," Sarkozy promised.
"The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how America returned in 1944 to free us from the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave us ... That is why we love America."
French backing
After four years of frosty ties under his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy pledged Washington could be assured of French backing on such issues as Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
France would "remain engaged in Afghanistan for as long as it takes, because what is at stake in that country is the very future of our values, and that of the Atlantic alliance."
And he backed the tough US line on Iran's nuclear programme, saying to applause that "the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable to France".
But in a rare note of criticism he urged the Americans to do more to shore up the dollar and called upon them to take the lead in the fight against global warming.
Bush, who welcomed Sarkozy in French to a black-tie White House dinner late on Tuesday, was also gushing in his praise of the new French leader at a post-summit press conference Wednesday in Virginia.
"Your leadership for your country is very impressive," Bush said. "You send a clear message. It is clear that you're a man who does what he says he is going to do. That is the kind of fellow I like to deal with."
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