PARIS, France (AP) - Iran's president said yesterday that his nation's links with the militant group Hezbollah should help the situation in Lebanon. Mohammad Khatami, speaking after meeting with French President Jacques Chirac, said he and the French leader discussed Lebanon at length.

"Hezbollah constitutes a real force in Lebanon and this party symbolises resistance in the face of foreign aggression," he said. "The good relations that we have are of a nature to help resolve the problems in Lebanon."

The United States regards Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, but Lebanon considers it a legitimate resistance movement.
Chirac's spokesman said the French leader expressed the hope that Hezbollah will "find its place as a big political party in Lebanese democracy".

France joined with the United States in pushing through a UN resolution last year that called on Syria to pull out of Lebanon. But France has resisted US calls for Hezbollah to be listed as a terrorist organisation.

Syria says it plans to complete its withdrawal of troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon by the end of the month, in time for Lebanese elections in May. France's foreign ministry said yesterday that the vote should go ahead as scheduled.

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