1. Mid of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora (right) meeting with France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy
2. Close of Douste-Blazy
3. Mid of delegates during talks
4. Close of Saniora
5. Wide of meeting
6. Cutaway to Lebanese and French flags
7. Wide of news conference
8. SOUNDBITE: (French) Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister:
"France has condemned with very strong words what looks like a new attempt to destabilise Lebanon through violence, intimidation and assassination."
9. Cutaway to cameraman
10. SOUNDBITE: (French) Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister:
"France will continue to stand by the government of Fuad Saniora in order to help him more than ever to fight for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.''
11. Wide of news conference
12. Cutaway to cameraman
13. Wide of Saniora and Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo Intini
14. Close of intini talking
15. Mid of Saniora and Intini talking
16. Close of Saniora
17. Wide of meeting
18. Cutaway to cameramen
19. Wide of Saniora and Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the prime minister, Jason Kenney
France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy met Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in Beirut on Thursday where he was attending the funeral of the Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.
Douste-Blazy said he was in Lebanon to represent France at the funeral of Gemayel and he offered sympathy to the Lebanese people.
At a news conference following his talks with Saniora, Douste-Blazy condemned what he described as fresh attempts to destabilise Lebanon through "violence, intimidation and assassination."
"France will continue to stand by the government of Fuad Saniora in order to help him more than ever to fight for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.'' he added.
Saniora also met Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo Intini and Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the prime minister, Jason Kenney, as international condemnation of the assassination picked up speed.
In Paris on Wednesday, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin further stressed France's stance saying that the international tribunal created to prosecute the suspected killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 14 others should be enabled to judge those behind Gemayel's murder as well.
Saniora asked the United Nations for "technical assistance" in finding the 34-year-old industry minister's killers, amid widespread accusations that
Syria was behind it.
Gemayel, who hailed from one of the nation's most prominent political dynasties, was killed on Tuesday when two cars blocked his vehicle at an intersection as he left a church and assassins shot him numerous times through a side window.
He was the sixth anti-Syrian figure killed in Lebanon in two years, including former prime minister Rafik Hariri who was slain in a massive bomb blast in Beirut in February 2005.
