Sarko Vows a Friendlier France

French President Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed his love for America before a joint session of Congress today and pledged that France will be a "friend of the United States." Sarkozy was greeted warmly with standing ovations in a wide-ranging speech that touched on the American dream, the dangers posed by Iran and America's need to trust Europe, the New York Times reported.

Sarkozy did not mention Iraq in his speech, a previous sore point in relations between the two countries, the Times noted. He did, however, encourage the US to take a leading role on climate change and warned of the dire effects of the sinking dollar. In a news conference afterward, he and Bush said the two nations will work jointly toward convincing Iran to stop its nuclear program.