At the end of his visit to France, Samir Geagea said that he was reassured that Paris was still concerned with “Lebanon first.” In other words, Geagea meant that he received reassurances from French officials that their opening to Syria was not made at the expense of Lebanon. In the same context, Patriarch Sfeir said France had affirmed to him its constant support for Lebanon and that its relations with any other country were not at its expense. French President Nicholas Sarkozy has repeatedly said that those responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri should be tried. In fact, France has huge interests in Lebanon; the two countries' ties are not just historical, but economic, cultural and political. Lebanon is an important country for France, which is proved by the fact that the position of French ambassador to Lebanon is ranked as one of the highest in the French Foreign Ministry. Everyone is aware of the importance of Lebanon in the hearts of the French, and this is proved by successive French visits to Lebanon, by ministers, MPs and advisors. However, this does not mean that Lebanon is a strategic priority for Sarkozy. He is mainly concerned with securing an international role that would give him momentum on the peace process front. From the beginning, he realized that Lebanon is a small country with a weak leadership that cannot take the initiative of peace negotiations with Israel. He has raised this issue twice with the Lebanese president, Michel Sleiman, who told him that it is not possible, and not within his prerogatives. Sarkozy responded to Sleiman by saying that a head of state must take bold initiatives and undertake a pioneering act, and enter peace negotiations. However, Sarkozy realized that the key is Syria, not Lebanon. In his view, Syria has become more important with regard to what Sarkozy is after on the peace track front. He has focused his efforts on showing openness to Syria and has carried out this policy by relying on his closest advisor, Claude Gueant, the secretary general of the presidency. Gueant has forged close ties with Syrian officials, their envoys from Lebanon, and the Syrians who regularly visit him. Sarkozy has also renewed ties with Syrian President Bashar Assad. France was fundamentally important in seeing Syria exit its international isolation, with the agreement of the American administration, just as it was fundamentally important during the tenure of Jacques Chirac in completely isolating Syria, after the assassination of Hariri. Today, Sarkozy is seeking a role with regard to Syrian-Israeli negotiations. However, he has run up against Syrian rejection of a mediator other than Turkey. Sarkozy has also confronted the lack of a vision by his friend and ally, Benjamin Netanyahu. Sarkozy expressed his irritation with Netanyahu in a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, who quickly advised Netanyahu to head to France and meet with its president, and deal with relations that were on the brink of deterioration. Sarkozy repeatedly tried to convince Netanyahu of the need to make concessions to the Palestinian people, and even with regard to negotiating with Syria, but to no avail. Sarkozy's wager on strong ties with Syria is also connected to the Iranian nuclear issue. The French president thought that he could distance Syria from Iran, but has realized that it was a naïve belief, since Syrian will not abandon its regional cards, whether it is Iran, Hizbullah or Hamas, in order to improve its ties with the west. The French president might believe that the relationship with Syria involves seeing Iran not undertake any acts against France. Sarkozy also wagered on the entry of French companies and investments into the wide Syrian market, compared to the narrower Lebanese one. However, he also ran up against red tape and laxity on this front, in terms of official Syrian decisions. Despite these obstructions, Syria remains more important in the mind of the French president, because it is influential. He saw this when the Lebanese president was elected, and the assassinations stopped, and Saad Hariri was able to form a government. Sarkozy expressed a willingness to receive General Michel Aoun in France because his friend Bashar Assad advised him to. Now, after having received Patriarch Sfeir, the doors are open for other visits. It is true that Syria has friends who are close to Sarkozy, such as the Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani, and the Agha Khan, along with the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. However, he has formed the idea himself that he is intent on seeing relations remain with the most important element in the Middle East, in order to achieve a certain role. Sarkozy believes that good relations with Syria, and with Israel, are more important in his strategy than emotional and historical ties with Lebanon. He is not searching for emotions, but for an active and influential international role.
