Mrs Sarkozy defends Libya visit

Cecilia Sarkozy, the wife of the French president, has spoken for the first time about her controversial visit to Libya to help free six medical workers.

She told a French paper that medical assistance was all that was offered in exchange - in response to suspicions that France had secured an arms deal.

Mrs Sarkozy said she was shocked by the media's criticism of her July meeting with Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Her interview was published in the regional paper, L'Est Republicain.

She told the paper that humanitarian reasons were all that lay behind her efforts to free five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, accused of infecting children with HIV.

France had offered only medical help and equipment, she said, a reference to suspicions that an arms deal signed later between the two countries was linked to the prisoners' release.

The president's wife said it was not her place to appear before a parliamentary inquiry, despite calls from opposition socialists for her to give evidence.

Since the election in May, Mrs Sarkozy's behaviour has attracted some criticism.

One example was her failure to turn up with her husband to a family barbecue with US President George Bush.

She says in the interview she has no wish to play the role of a traditional First Lady - but no-one will stop her from trying to relieve misery in the world.