President Nicolas Sarkozy

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France believes passionately in a Mediterranean Union, and is putting a great deal of energy - and urgency - into bringing it to birth.

A plan to set up a Mediterranean Union, which received formal backing from the European Union on Friday, could be an example for Russia, a Russian senator said Friday.

The French government will lobby hard to have at least four more permanent members added to the UN Security Council and to transform the G8 into a G13, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday.

Suez SA and state-owned Gaz de France plan to form a global energy giant that they say will be better placed to compete against players such as Russia's OAO Gazprom. The outlines of the new company, to be called GDF Suez after the deal is expected to be completed in 2008, was approved by Suez and GDF boards late Sunday after active brokering by President Nicolas Sarkozy.