Chirac warns fighting could resume in Lebanon

PARIS: French President Jacques Chirac warned on Monday that fighting could resume in Lebanon without a lasting settlement, as he urged Iran to build the "conditions for trust" in its stand-off with the West.

In a wide-ranging foreign policy speech, Chirac urged all parties in the conflict to help secure a long-term settlement in Lebanon, two weeks into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah.

"The choice is between a resumption of hostilities, creating a permanent rift between two neighbouring peoples, and the political option of a global and lasting settlement," he told an annual meeting of French ambassadors in Paris.

Chirac urged Israel to end its air and sea blockade of Lebanon, saying the measure - intended to cut Hezbollah's supply lines - was "seriously harming" the economy. He also called for the holding of an international conference to address the aid situation following 34 days of bloodshed.

Chirac said the UN text provided "the framework for a lasting settlement based on Israel's security and Lebanon's sovereignty over its whole territory."

It "outlines a process which must lead to the disarmament of militias and the settlement of border questions, including that of the Shebaa Farms," a disputed territory controlled by Israel, Chirac said.

Chirac appealed directly to Syria - Hezbollah's key backer along with Iran - to help secure a lasting peace in the region.

He urged Damascus to "move beyond its isolationist logic", saying the Middle East "needs Syria to be active in the service of peace and regional stability."