( dpa ) - The girlfriend of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, pop singer Carla Bruni, will not accompany him on his visit to India this week because they are not married, the daily Liberation reported on Tuesday.
The former supermodel told the newspaper that, contrary to a recent newspaper report, she was "not yet married" and therefore "cannot go on an official visit with the president."
The relationship between Bruni and Sarkozy had provided problems of protocol for Indian authorities and had been the subject of feverish discussions between Paris and New Delhi.
A French government official told Liberation that less than 48 hours before Sarkozy was scheduled to leave for his two-day visit to India, the list of all those who are to accompany him on is not yet complete.
Sarkozy is scheduled to be in India on Friday and Saturday and take part in celebrations marking the anniversary of the Indian constitution.
Bruni gave another reason for not making the trip. "I am going into the studio at the beginning of February to record my next album and I am currently working at home on my pieces."