France will support Greece following its efforts to reduce its deficit and has no intention of seeing the country fall by the wayside, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Saturday.

"If we created the euro, we cannot let a country fall that is in the euro zone. Otherwise, there was no point in creating the euro," Sarkozy said during a meeting with farmers.

"We (must) support Greece because they are making an effort, or else there will be no more euro," he added.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is due in Paris on Sunday to meet Sarkozy as part of a tour of capitals seeking backing for his debt-riddled nation.

He received political support, but no promise of financial aid, at talks in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.

French officials have said there is no need for aid at present, but Sarkozy made clear that Paris would be ready to help if Athens faced a budget meltdown.

"The euro has no sense if there is no solidarity between ourselves," he said, telling the farmers that Greece was the number one importer of French beef.

"I will fight with the same ferocious energy to defend the (European) common agriculture policy," Sarkozy added, referring to EU aid for its farm sector. – Reuters