Hariri's Speech in Hanoi

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri demanded Lebanon's Francophone partners to help him liberate his territories from Israeli occupation, at the opening of the Francophone summit in Hanoi yesterday.

He asked them to support the application of the United Nations resolution 425. On the sidelines of the conference, Hariri met French president Jacques Chirac who agreed, in principle, on the Lebanese invitation to host the 2001 Francophone summit.

The talks with Chirac centered around the development of Hanoi's summit and the problems of the Middle East peace process. Hariri also met Canada's premiere, Jean Chretien, to discuss the summit's developments and the countries bilateral ties. Hariri will return to Beirut tomorrow.