French President Nicolas Sarkozy will go to the Vatican next week for talks with Pope Benedict XVI, the president's office said Thursday.The Dec. 20 visit is Sarkozy's first trip to the Vatican since he took office in May.
David Martinon, Sarkozy's spokesman, described the Vatican as "extremely active and influential" in diplomacy.
"It's a partner that counts, and it's a heavyweight ally on a great number of subjects," such as on Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Martinon said.
France is hosting an international donors' conference for the Palestinians on Monday.
Sarkozy will meet with the pope in the late morning.
In the evening the president is to dine with Italian Premier Romano Prodi and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to talk about his idea for a union of Mediterranean countries, Martinon said.
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