Paris (SANA) Head of the French- Syrian Friendship Society Bernard Lanu said that President Bashar al-Assad's forthcoming visit to France forms an essential step to develop and enhance friendship between the two countries. In a statement to SANA on Wednesday, Lanu added that talks between President al-Assad and his French Counterpart Nikolas Sarkozy and the obvious development of the two countries' relations serve the interests of both countries and peoples, pointing out that the Syrian- French relations go in the right direction. He added that if France wants to play a role in the Middle East, it should boost relations with Syria due to its essential regional role. Lanu expressed complete support to Syria to restore its occupied lands, stressing that peace in the ME couldn't be achieved without Syria, calling on France to contribute in pushing the indirect Syrian- Israeli talks forward. Khaeda/ Zahra.