French President Jacques Chirac called on his new ministers on Friday for "unity and cohesion" at the new government's first cabinet meeting, the government spokesman said after the meeting.

At the beginning of the cabinet meeting, the president said " the period that we pass is difficult for France. We'll surpass it by assembling the French people, by our union, by our action."

He said the first task, under the prime minister's authority, is unity, cohesion, the total engagement for all time in government function, the strict respect of rules and the government's working spirit.

Chirac insisted again on the fight against unemployment that is running at 10.2 percent of the working force in France, the highest in the European Union.

"We have two years to rise to the challenge of employment," said the president, noting that it is a government for employment and he expects the prime minister to mobilize the government for employment and growth.

Chirac also said he would assure EU colleagues of France's commitment to the European Union (EU) despite the rejection of the EU constitution, said government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope.

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin termed the government's big battle as employment.

The new prime minister obtained Friday French parliament's approval on the declaration of the government's general politics that Villepin handed over to the lower house on Wednesday and the upper house on Thursday.

Chirac reshuffled his government in the wake of the French rejection to the EU constitution treaty at the Sunday referendum.

Source: Xinhua