Nicolas Sarkozy today defended his decision to represent Europe at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in China by saying that he could not take part in a boycott that would humiliate one quarter of the world's population.

Faced with accusations that he would set back the cause of human rights in China, the French President defended his decision by saying that he had previously asked the Chinese leadership to scrap the death penalty.

Mr Sarkozy told the European Parliament that he had consulted his 26 fellow EU leaders about the trip and none had dissented.

He outlined his plans for France's six-month presidency of the EU to MEPs the day after the head of the European Parliament said that he would boycott the opening of the Games in protest at the lack of progress on talks with the Dalai Lama over Tibet.

“It is not by humiliating China that we will help China make progress, but rather by frank and direct dialogue," Mr Sarkozy said. "You cannot boycott a quarter of humankind."

"I contacted every member state to get their opinion and to find out if any were opposed," he said. "I received the agreement of every member country to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games."

The Dalai Lama is due to visit France next month but Mr Sarkozy has yet to confirm whether he will meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Ambassador to France, Kong Quan, gave warning of serious consequences to Sino-French relations if Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama.

"If such a meeting took place, it would have serious consequences because it would be contrary to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs," the ambassador told reporters in Paris.

Mr Sarkozy today retorted: "There are things that China cannot say to European countries. It is not up to China to set my agenda and my meetings," he said.

The French President also told MEPs that he would present a plan by December for saving the Lisbon treaty after Ireland's rejection in a referendum last month.

"The French presidency will propose a method and, I hope, a solution either in October or in December," Mr Sarkozy said, ruling out a renegotiation of the treaty.

"We have to find a solution. I am sure we will, as the Danish found a solution in the past," he added, referring to a precedent where Denmark negotiated opt-outs from the 1992 Maastricht treaty after rejecting it in a first referendum. The second Danish referendum was passed.

When Mr Sarkozy listed his goals for France's six-month presidency of the EU he added that he would like to see European conferences aimed at finding cures for Alzheimer's Disease and cancer.

"I would like the French presidency to organise a meeting of all the specialists from all the countries to pool best practice so that together we can come up with an answer to it," he said during a four-hour debate in the French city of Strasbourg.

"Imagine what Europeans would say about Europe then — it is a way of getting rid of these appalling diseases.

"What I said about Alzheimer's would also apply to cancer. There is no reason to have everyone working in their own little corner when we can work together because we are stronger when we have more resources."

Mr Sarkozy's latest ideas could be seen as increasingly desperate attempts to prove to disenchanted citizens that the EU can have a direct beneficial role to play in their lives.

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