French PM Refuses to Confirm Visit to France by Sharon

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin Friday refused to confirm whether Israel's rightwing Likud leader Ariel Sharon will make a visit to France next week at the invitation of the French branch of the Likud.

Answering questions at a joint press conference with President Jacques Chirac, Jospin said: "We don't have the confirmation that this visit will be really made."

Chirac and Jospin are hosting a two-day informal summit of the European Union countries here.

"We have made known our feeling in this regard (to Israel), in a discrete way," said Jospin.

France has condemned Sharon for provoking an outbreak of violence by forcibly visiting the holy sites on the Esplanade of Mosques in east Jerusalem on September 28.

Likud France said that Sharon will come to Paris to attend a meeting of the party in support of Israel on October 17.



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