LONDON, June 23 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Thursday urged the international community to be firm in dealing with Syria, saying the country had to respect a United Nations resolution on withdrawing troops from Lebanon.

"Resolution 1559 must be respected and the firmness of the international community must be expressed in the coming days vis-a-vis Syria," he said, following a meeting with his US counterpart Condoleeza Rice on the sidelines of a gathering in London of foreign ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) world powers.

Both Rice and Douste-Blazy reiterated a call for Syria to respect the UN resolution which France and the United States promoted last year. The text calls for a full withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon and an end to foreign interference in the country.

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