Dublin - French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who generated controversy by saying Ireland should hold another referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, is likely to meet opponents of the deal when he visits Dublin next week, media reports said Thursday.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said Sarkozy would be in a "listening mode" during his brief trip on Monday, and would not be imposing any solutions.

"We're not entertaining any prospect or any bullying from anybody. We'll be looking at it from an Irish perspective and what's in the best interests of Ireland," Martin said in a radio interview Wednesday.

Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU presidency, told French lawmakers on Tuesday that "the Irish must vote again" after voters rejected the treaty to streamline the EU in a referendum June 12.

Speaking during a visit to New York, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen played down Sarkozy's comments, saying there was a range of views about what to do after Ireland's no vote, but the government was only at the start of the process.

He said it was not just for his government to decide, but for all 27 members of the EU, and the Irish government had not come to any conclusions yet.

In order to be adopted, the Lisbon Treaty must be approved by all 27 EU member nations. (dpa)