German Chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed French first lady Carla Bruni to make a personal appeal to the parliament for humanitarian aid. But some German lawmakers say they do not want a celebrity visit. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed France's first lady Carla Bruni to make a personal appeal to the German parliament for humanitarian aid, despite a dismissive response to the plan by some German politicians.

Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Thursday that the chancellor supported Bruni's aim to speak before the budget committee of the Bundestag lower house to seek funding as an ambassador for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

"The Chancellor found this a good idea because Mrs. Bruni-Sarkozy could deliver important arguments," he said, using the former model and singer-songwriter's married name