French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner earlier this month invited leaders to take part in a meeting at the end of June on Lebanon's future, but he later postponed the gathering. Officials said it could now take place in mid-July.

"We support all of the initiatives that France has taken to bring together the Lebanese people, have a dialogue and bridge differences," said Siniora.

But he added that "expectations are not extremely high for this meeting", noting that the participants would not be from senior levels.

The parliament-backed prime minister met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier who pledged US support for Lebanon and had a working luncheon with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

France has taken a leading role in trying to restore stability to Lebanon, with Kouchner traveling to Beirut last month for his first foreign trip abroad.

Lebanon has been deadlocked since last November when six pro-Syrian ministers quit the cabinet, charging that it was riding roughshod over the power-sharing arrangements in force since the 1975-90 civil war.

Picture: France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) welcome Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the ELysee Palace in Paris June 26, 2007