Apology over 'drunk' Sarkozy video

The video clip was taken during a news conference following a meeting between the French president and Russia's President Putin.

Prior to showing the clip the Belgian broadcaster made the comment "apparently he had more than just water to drink".

The video shows Mr Sarkozy seemingly out of breath and on the verge of laughing. The clip has been seen on YouTube more than a million times now.

However the broadcaster has since apologised to the French president, who insists he is a teetotaller, saying their jest was in "bad taste".

Belgian broadcaster RTBF said presenter Eric Boever asked the French embassy to convey his apologies to the president, saying:

"I obviously did not want to offend French national sensitivities, especially since I am also French through my mother."

A spokesman for the president declined to comment, saying, "it is not common practice... to comment on bad taste jokes".

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