Assad sends warm message to Sarkozy

PARIS, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Syrian President Bashar Assad relayed a message of support to his French counterpart as part of a broader effort to improve bilateral relations, Damascus said.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem relayed the message to French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a bilateral meeting in Paris.

The talks focused on the latest efforts at reaching a comprehensive and sustainable peace in the Middle East and what role Damascus had in that initiative, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reports.

Sarkozy has looked to exploit French relations in the region to lobby for a variety of regional efforts, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative and settling the controversial Iranian nuclear program.

Assad traveled to Paris in 2008 to discuss bilateral ties as Damascus seeks to move hesitantly to erase years of isolationist policies. Moallem, for his part, met earlier this week with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner to discuss issues in the Middle East, including Iraq and Lebanon.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mikdad, meanwhile, met this week with Jacob Lew, U.S. deputy secretary of state for management and resources, to discuss "regional issues of mutual interest," SANA reported.