President Jacques Chirac called on Friday for an all-out effort toward a U.N.-backed cease-fire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and a political agreement _ which France wants ahead of any peacekeeping force. Chirac spoke by telephone with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the two men «stressed the need to very quickly reach an agreement on the (U.N.) resolution» to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the president's office was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Chirac and Blair, in their phone conversation, «stressed the need to very quickly find an accord on the resolution,» the French president's office said. Chirac then issued his own call for «an all-out effort toward a cease-fire and political accord ratified by the United Nations.»
