Kouchner offers French help in Lebanon crisis

PARIS (Reuters) - France is offering to help warring factions in Lebanon meet for talks in the hope of preventing a grave situation becoming worse, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Friday.

"We invite everyone to come to the table to reach an accord. We are ready to facilitate their meeting and take all necessary measures," he said in a statement.

At least 11 people have been killed in gun battles since the U.S.-backed government took action against a communications network run by Hezbollah, a Shi'ite political bloc backed by Iran and Syria, which runs a well-trained guerrilla army.

Kouchner said civil war must be avoided. He said he would be in contact with Lebanon's leaders and its allies, and he urged other countries with influence to behave responsibly.

"We call on everyone, each party, each force, to immediately stop the fighting and return to dialogue. We demand the barricades be lifted and the airport reopened," he added.

Later, Kouchner said France was making plans for a possible evacuation of its nationals should the situation deteriorate, although the government was not recommending it for now.

"How could we not envisage an evacuation? We are preparing for it, though we are not recommending it," he said on France Info radio.

"For now there is no panic among the (French) community in Lebanon. Only people who were there for a few days have been transported out, they are almost all gone but the community remains calm for now," he added.

(Reporting by Brian Rohan; editing by Ralph Boulton)