France ready to open up to Syria

France is prepared to open up in a "spectacular way" to Syria if it stops meddling in Lebanon, French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday.

Kouchner stated he hoped Damascus would "not create obstacles to Lebanon's sovereignty" when it holds presidential elections next month. "If Syria does not create obstacles to Lebanon's sovereignty ... then France will open up to Damascus in a spectacular way," Kouchner told Le Parisien newspaper. "But for this to happen, we would need guarantees," he added.
The Lebanese parliament is expected to elect a new president between September 24 and November 24. Meanwhile, Kouchner did not rule out visiting Tehran. "Why not, if it can be useful to advance peace?" he said. But he added that France remained adamant in demanding that Tehran give up its nuclear plans, saying a nuclear-armed Iran would pose "a great danger."