国际英语新闻：Sarkozy vows to carry on reform through 2011

PARIS, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed Friday in his New Year greeting to carry on reforms through 2011 till the end of his tenure.

The president began with his satisfaction of what happened in 2010, saying France's suffering in recession "was less severe and shorter than that in many of our partners."

Looking into 2011, he said the new year will be hopeful, as growth returns and major reforms are beginning to bear fruit.

To continue reforms is "the only way to preserve our model and our identity, it's the only way to protect France and the French," he said.

"Our pension system has turned immune to the inevitable bankruptcy ... There are our seniors' pension that have been saved and for the first time, France can confront a capital reform without violence and blockade thanks to the minimum service ..." he said, referring to the pension reform that postpone legal retirement age from 60 to 62.

"My deepest conviction for 2011 is that we should continue tirelessly to strengthen our advantages and lessen our weaknesses by being more competitive, better training our young people, better working, by reducing our public spending and our deficit..., " he said.

Sarokzy repeated his persistence on the law banning burqa -- a full-body veil for Muslim women, saying it will be strictly applied.

He also underscored the responsibility of France as it takes over the presidency of G20 and G8 in 2011.

France "will defend the idea of a more regulated and less brutal world where interdependence obliges everyone to listen more to each other," he added.