Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy demanded that Russian troops withdraw "without delay" from Georgia, adding that "this point is not negotiable in my eyes."

In an article to appear in Le Figaro newspaper Monday, Sarkozy said he would convene a special European Union summit if Russia failed to remove its military troops that entered Georgia on and after August 7.

"If this clause of the ceasefire accord is not applied rapidly and totally, I would summon an extraordinary European Council to decide what consequences to draw," the article said.

Paris  - President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, which currently chairs the European Union, was expected to fly to Moscow and then to Tbilisi Tuesday to mediate the crisis over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, Elysee Palace said.

Sarkozy spoke by telephone with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev twice Monday. He also spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian President Silvio Berlusconi about his goal of reaching a ceasefire between Russia and Georgia.

Moscow, Aug 12 : With Russian Army moving into Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia, in an apparent attempt to broaden the conflict over South Ossetia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will arrive here to undertake a peace plan.

Sarkozy will meet his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Kremlin to discuss a French peace plan that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed on Monday as Russian troops moved further into Georgia and casualties mounted outside the breakaway regions that sparked the war.

Paris  - The Dalai Lama on Monday began a 12-day visit to France during which the Tibetan spiritual leader was due to meet French lawmakers.

No official reception was planned, but the Dalai Lama would meet privately with members from the Franco-Tibetan interest group, officials said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was not due to meet the Dalai Lama. While French media have been speculating over the politically sensitive nature of such a meeting, the Elysee Palace indicated that the Dalai Lama had not yet asked for a meeting with Sarkozy.

Paris  - French President Nicolas Sarkozy will not meet the Dalai Lama during the latter's upcoming visit to France, the Elysee Palace said Wednesday.

The Tibetan religious leader had given current circumstances not requested a meeting with the French president, a palace statement said.

According to Le Figaro however Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni will attend a religious ceremony led by the Dalai Lama for the opening of a Buddhist temple in Roqueredonde in southern France.

Paris - As he prepared to meet with US presidential candidate Barack Obama later Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told a French newspaper that the Illinois senator was his "buddy."

"Obama? That's my buddy," Sarkozy was quoted as saying in Friday's edition of Le Figaro. "Contrary to my diplomatic advisors, I never thought Hillary Clinton had a chance. I always said Obama would be chosen" as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.