Sarkozy said Paris could "collaborate with Egypt in nuclear energy for civilian use if Egypt wishes," MENA said, quoting excerpts of an interview to be published Saturday in the pro-government Al-Ahram daily.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced in November that Egypt planned to construct a series of nuclear power plants, relaunching a programme shelved 20 years ago following the Chernobyl disaster.

Sarkozy is currently vacationing in Egypt with his new companion Carla Bruni, ahead of a state visit due to begin Sunday in Cairo.

The French president briefly broke off his holiday on Friday morning to hold informal talks with his Mubarak in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, sources on both sides said.

Sarkozy, who has been often described by the Egyptian press as a pro-US and pro-Israeli French president, told Al-Ahram that he backed efforts "to establish an independent, democratic, viable and modern Palestinian state by the end of 2008."

"I have often said that I was a friend of the United States and of Israel, but this does not mean I always share their views," Sarkozy said, according to the excerpts carried by MENA.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas relaunched peace talks at a US-hosted conference in November, pledging to aim for a final deal by the end of 2008, including the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

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