国际英语新闻：France, Israel strengthen bilateral relations amid protest

PARIS, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres Thursday discussed with French President Nicolas Sarkozy about bilateral relations alongside public protests against the inauguration a Promenade named after Israeli leader Ben Gurion in Paris.

Middle East peace, potential sanction against Iran and future bilateral cooperation addressing upcoming challenges are their major topics, Sarkozy and Peres said at the joint press conference after a working lunch in the Elysee Palace.

The two leaders reaffirmed the urgency and importance to re- launch the halted peace talk between Israel and Palestine.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy (R) shakes hands with visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Elysee Palace, Paris, capital of France, April 15, 2010.

Sarkozy said the only way to ease conflicts between the two sides would be to get the peace process back on track, warning that continuing conflict would impact on everyone because it fed the influence of extremists on both sides and led to incitement and terror.

Peres conceded that there had been difficulties of confidence between the concerned sides, but emphasized that the effort to build on the bridge was worth trying.

"There are good chance to resume negotiation ... there remains hope to renew the bridge eventually," Peres said.

During the Wednesday meeting with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Peres said Israel was ready to accept the principle of a two-state solution.

As to Iran nuclear issue, the two presidents concrete their common status in front of reporters, saying a new round of sanction was "very much on the table."

Peres underlined his hope of preventing Iran from gaining nuclear bombs and said that Israel would not remain indifferent to harsh scolding from Iran.

Besides joint efforts to secure the kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit, who is dual Israeli and French citizen, they agreed to reinforce bilateral relations as challenges like population growth and energy shortfall require more technology support and exchange between the two sides.

Despite the fact that Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize together with Yasser Arafat in 1994, the inauguration of Ben Gurion Promenade presided by him was harassed by groups of anti- Israel demonstrators.

In the morning, near a hundred of protesters lined the banks of the Seine, waving posters and banners written anti-Israel slogans.

They blamed Ben Gurion, the iconic state father of Israel, responsible for expelling Palestinians from their homeland in 1948 and charged the current Israeli government with continuing settlement expansion.

Sarkozy escorted Peres to his vehicle after the press conference and French guard of honor in the yard played high- profile ceremony as the Israeli president was finishing up his visit, the protocol of which was deemed rarely by journalists at the site.