BEIRUT: French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday praised Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s attempts to maintain stability in Lebanon amid turbulence in an Arab world swept by a wave of popular upheavals.Sarkozy also showed understanding toward the Lebanese government’s policy to dissociate itself from the 11-month-old turmoil in Syria, Mikati told reporters after a 45-minute meeting with the French president at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

Mikati said his talks with Sarkozy had covered bilateral relations, France’s participation in the U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon known as UNIFIL, the situation in the Middle East and the dramatic developments in the Arab world as a result of popular uprisings that have so far led to the overthrow of leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

“I affirmed to the French president the Lebanese position to keep Lebanon away from all these developments because what matters to me is the Lebanese situation and stability in Lebanon,” Mikati said. “I have asked the French president to support this Lebanese position. He showed understanding and promised to support this issue,” he added.

Describing the meeting with Sarkozy as “very good,” Mikati said: “The relations between Lebanon and France are not personal but historic between two countries at all levels. I have felt the extent of the French president’s keenness on Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.”

Asked what was Sarkozy’s stance on topics discussed during the meeting, Mikati said: “President Sarkozy affirmed during the meeting his support for Lebanon and for what I am doing for the sake of maintaining stability. He also stressed his keenness that Lebanon stay away from any tension.”

The Lebanese government has tried to dissociate itself from the repercussions of the uprising in Syria and has avoided deploying the army along the border with Syria despite a series of incidents, including Syrian incursions that led to the death of some Lebanese by Syrian gunfire.

Mikati said he had asked Sarkozy to exert pressure on Israel to force it to stop its air, sea and ground violations of Lebanese sovereignty as well as its “spying activities against Lebanon.” The Lebanese Army and ISF last year busted several Israeli spy networks.

Mikati also said that he had thanked Sarkozy for the latest French military assistance to the Lebanese Army.