French President calls for end to violence in Tibet

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on Monday for an end to violence in Tibet and said France would be willing to facilitate talks to end it.

In a brief official statement, the presidential palace said Nicolas Sarkozy had sent a message to President Hu Jintao to express his concern over events in Tibet.

"The President of the Republic has said that France is available to facilitate renewed dialogue in the framework of the strategic French-Chinese partnership," the statement said.

The statement came amid calls for a boycott of the Olympic Games in China this year after riots in Tibet blamed by China on the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader.

Sarkozy wanted a speedy resumption of dialogue between Chinese authorities and the followers of the Dalai Lama so that all Tibetans can "fully express their cultural and spiritual identity within the People's Republic of China," it said.

(Reporting by Marcel Michelson; Editing by Giles Elgood)