(24 Jan 2007)
1. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora arriving and being greeted by French President Jacques Chirac, handshake
2. Wide of Saniora walking into news conference
3. Mid of Saniora sitting
4. Mid of cameras
5. Pan of news conference
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:
"Definitely I'm coming from Lebanon after having experienced a very difficult day yesterday. But this really gives us a lesson that we have to really resort to dialogue and not confrontations in the street because going to the street does not solve any problem. In a country like Lebanon it is only through dialogue, through being open-minded, trying to understand the worries of the other and trying to sit down with him and and trying to find solutions."
7. Wide of news conference
8. Tilt up on journalist taking notes
9. Cutaway of journalists
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:
"I really look forward for a very good support from the Arab and international community and I said several times that the costs of helping Lebanon, irrespective of how much it may appear to be significant, it is much less than the costs of not helping Lebanon. So this is something that we have to really take into consideration. How to really use the money? I said this is going to be put in an account, the proceeds will be used to reduce the outstanding debt and ultimately to reduce the debt service of the mounting debt that we have accumulated."
11. Mid of news conference
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:
"This conference is not being made to help a certain group or a certain government. This is for all the Lebanese so I think at the end of the day, at the end of the day, we have to really sit down, think wisely and act wisely for the benefit for all Lebanon and all Lebanese."
13. Wide of news conference
STORYLINE:
The Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora won pledges of new international aid on Wednesday ahead of a major conference being held in Paris to raise funds for his war-scarred country.
Saniora arrived in France earlier on Wednesday for talks with French President Jacques Chirac and to attend the conference.
His arrival in Paris came a day after the Hezbollah-led opposition staged protests in Lebanon that turned into violent clashes with government supporters.
Saniora and Chirac, both warned that new international aid was essential for Lebanon.
Saniora's government is locked in confrontation with Hezbollah and its allies.
"I said several times that the costs of helping Lebanon, irrespective of how much it may appear to be significant, it is much less than the costs of not helping Lebanon," Saniora told reporters after a meeting with Chirac to prepare for the conference, which will involve 35 mostly Western and Gulf countries.
Analysts expect it could net as much as five (b) billion US dollars (3.8 (b) billion euros) to help cut Lebanon's public debt and pay for rebuilding costs, after a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah fighters last year.
France was prepared to offer a loan of 650 (m) million US dollars (500 (m) million euros) at "very advantageous" terms, said one of the President's spokesmen.
The European Union's executive commission also said it would pledge 522 (m) million US dollars (400 (m) million euros) in new aid and loans.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the aid was meant to bolster the reform agenda drafted by Saniora, which he described as "an important step" in bringing stability to Lebanon.
No Hezbollah representatives were invited to the Paris event.
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