HOLLYWOOD - French president Nicolas Sarkozy has confirmed he is to wed Italian supermodel Carla Bruni.
The 39-year-old beauty has been dating Sarkozy since October 2006, with Bruni's mother telling Italian press the couple had become engaged earlier this week.
Speculation the pair planned to marry was also fuelled after Bruni was spotted sporting a new sapphire ring on her engagement finger during the pair's Christmas vacation in Egypt.
Officials at the Elysee Palace, the President's official residence, had not issued a statement to confirm the union, but Sarkozy finally told a press conference on Tuesday of his engagement to the model, hinting the pair could wed in a secret ceremony.
He said of the impending nuptials, "There is a strong chance that you will learn about it once it's already been done."
However, local newspaper reports claim a wedding has been provisionally planned for Feb. 9 in the Parisian suburb of Neuilly.
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