Sarkozy affirms support for Spain against "terror" 01/06/2007 00:00

MADRID, May 31, 2007 (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday his government would support Spain in its fight against terrorism following talks with the Spanish prime minister here.

"The Spanish government knows it can count on our support," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

"When it comes to terrorism, there is only one political solution in democracies: unity -- day and night," he said.

In March 2004, train bombings in Madrid claimed by extremists who said they were linked to Al-Qaeda killed 191 people and injured another 1,824.

Sarkozy said that France's traditional position on Basque separatist group ETA remained, calling it a "Spanish problem."

"We have always considered that it was up to Spain to indicate their policy to us," he said.

ETA is blamed for the deaths of more than 800 people in its four-decade campaign to achieve independence for the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France.

It insists that a "permanent cease-fire" it declared in March last year is still in place despite a December 2006 car bombing at Madrid's airport that killed two men.

Copyright AFP

Subject: French news