Back to business for recovering Chirac

French President Jacques Chirac was determined to prove it was business as usual today despite his stay in hospital as he held a telephone conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

It is the latest sign that the 72-year-old French leader is determined to stay on the job as his health improves.

Chirac had been due to meet with Schroeder in Germany today, but was forced to cancel after suffering what doctors called a “small vascular incident” last week that hindered his vision. He was admitted to Val de Grace military hospital on Friday, but officials have said his health was improving.

Dr Anne Robert, the head doctor of the army’s health service, today said the hospital did not plan to issue a statement on Chirac’s health because “everything is going as expected”.

In a health update on Monday, Robert said Chirac was making a “very favourable” recovery.

The government has been facing criticism for guarding details of his condition like a state secret.

Chirac and Schroeder discussed issues such as an informal meeting of European Union leaders next month in Britain, a summit at the United Nations next week and would-be EU member Turkey’s refusal to recognise Cyprus, presidential spokesman Jerome Bonnafont said.

Chirac also said he regretted not being able to attend today’s meeting in Rheinsberg, north of Berlin, with just 12 days to go before German legislative elections, Bonnafont said.

Schroeder’s tenure is on the line, with polls giving the conservative Christian Democrats of challenger Angela Merkel a double-digit lead over his Social Democrats. Chirac and Schroeder have been strong allies – notably lining up against the US-led war in Iraq.

Chirac said he hoped to be able to attend next week’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, and his office was moving ahead with plans for him to lead the French delegation, Bonnafont said.

Whether Chirac would make the trip to New York on September 13-15 has been the subject of considerable speculation in the French press since he became ill.

Chirac was resting under ”simple” medical vigilance and was expected to leave in a few days, after a total of about a week in the hospital.