NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Senior French opposition leader Philippe Douste-Blazy left India on Sunday after a two-day visit in which he delivered a message of solidarity from President Jacques Chirac following the recent attack on the parliament. The former French culture minister, who is mayor of Toulouse, met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh.

During his meeting with the prime minister, Douste-Blazy handed over a message of “solidarity, understanding and support” from Chirac.

“The French president deemed it necessary under the present circumstances to send a message to Vajpayee ... offering the help of France and recalling that France was using all diplomatic channels possible in the present situation,” the French Ambassador to India Bernard de Montferrand said.—AFP