Sarkozy on EU mission to Dublin

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy is starting an official visit to Ireland to discuss how to proceed after the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, BBC reports.

He will meet Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen during the trip, which is expected to last less than six hours.

Earlier this month, Mr Sarkozy said the Republic of Ireland would have to hold a second referendum on the EU treaty.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Dublin says that remark by Mr Sarkozy annoyed many Irish politicians.

Ireland was the only one of 27 EU member states to hold a referendum on the treaty, which is aimed at streamlining EU institutions to improve decision-making in the enlarged bloc.

Critics see the treaty as further evidence of a federalist, pro-integration agenda at work in the EU.