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WEEK IN STRASBOURG:THE HIGHLIGHT of the week in Strasbourg was Tuesday's visit of the French president and European Council president-in-office Nicolas Sarkozy who reported on the recent EU summit in Brussels. Discussions covered the world's financial situation, climate change, immigration and asylum as well as food and petrol prices.

Mr Sarkozy was critical of Ireland's guarantee to the country's main banks, saying it had caused a flight of money from British to Irish banks, leaving "no liquidity in London". He called for more concerted action leading towards new financial governance for the euro zone. He also called for a "roadmap" to a solution to the problem of Irish ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by December.