DAMASCUS - FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy encouraged Syria to pursue face-to-face peace talks with Israel during his first trip on Wednesday to the Arab nation - a visit also aimed at undercutting Iranian influence in Damascus.

After discussions with President Bashar Assad, Mr Sarkozy said France was ready to sponsor direct Syria-Israel talks 'when the time comes' and would help in any way it could, if asked.

'It is very important that the time for Syria and Israel to talk directly comes soon, to build the peace that everyone needs,' Mr Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Assad.

He also stressed that Syria could play a role in persuading its ally Iran to cooperate on resolving Teheran's standoff with the West over the Iranian nuclear program.

The French leader has tried to forge better relations with both Syria and Libya - countries some other Western powers have been reluctant to engage with.

His visit reflects a push to bring Syria out of isolation and boost efforts to get Damascus to talk directly with it's longtime foe, Israel.

Mr Sarkozy also wants to woo Syria away from the fold of regional power Iran, which the US and its European allies suspect of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, while he backs a go-between role for Damascus to bring across Western demands on Teheran.

'Iran must not have a nuclear weapon ... Nuclear weapons in Iran are a threat to peace in the region and the world. Everybody, in their own way, should get the message through,' Mr Sarkozy said.

Mr Assad said his talks with Mr Sarkozy were 'frank and constructive' and focused on Mid-east stability and indirect contacts currently under way between Syria and Israel under Turkish mediation.

He said the indirect negotiations were the 'only way' toward future face-to-face talks, which he said would 'need the presence' of the US and others.

Mr Assad has in the past criticised the Bush administration and said he was waiting for a new White House administration that could sponsor the talks.

Syria demands a full return of the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Face-to-face talks collapsed in 2000 because of disagreement over the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from the heights.

Mr Assad, who recently visited Teheran but apparently failed to persuade Iranians on the nuclear question, said he would continue that dialogue with the Iranian and French sides.

'We hope to reach a resolution to this problem. No one in the world can bear the consequences of any non-peaceful resolution because it will be a catastrophe,' Mr Assad said.

The French president received a red carpet welcome at the hilltop al-Shaab presidential palace overlooking the ancient capital. On Thursday, he was to join the prime minister of Turkey and the emir of Qatar in another meeting with Mr Assad.

Turkey has been mediating the Israeli-Syrian talks for more than a year. The Persian Gulf nation of Qatar is a key broker in inter-Arab disputes, while France has been influential in pushing Syria to stop interfering in the affairs of its politically fractured neighbour, Lebanon.

Mr Sarkozy's visit will boost Mr Assad's government, isolated by major Western powers and Arab powerhouses Egypt and Saudi Arabia over its policies in Lebanon.

It's also a recognition of the regional clout Syria has with Lebanon's Hizbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in addition to its close ties to Iran - all opponents of US policy in the Middle East.

Mr Sarkozy argues it is necessary to engage in a dialogue with Damascus.

He raised the issue of Syria's bleak human rights record during his meeting with Mr Assad, welcoming the release of two Syrian activists this summer and saying he hoped there would be 'other initiatives.' -- AP