France's Kouchner visits southern Iraq (2nd Roundup)

May 31, 2008, 11:08 GMT

Baghdad/Paris - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Iraq on an unannounced visit Saturday - his second since a three-day visit to Baghdad last August.

Iraqi governmental sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdul-Mahdy received the French minister in the city of Nassiriya in the early hours of Saturday.

Kouchner toured one of the city's monumental sites, telling reporters the visit was in response to Abdul-Mahdy's invitation to visit the country.

Kouchner stressed that the visit would prompt 'a true enhancement in relations between France and the Iraqi people in addition to providing support to all southern Iraqi cities.'

Falah Moustapha, a governmental official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency that Kouchner would inaugurate a French consulate in the northern city of Arbil on Sunday.

Moustapha said that the inauguration would mark 'a new level in the political, economic and cultural relations between France and the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan'.

It was widely expected that Kouchner will meet with Massoud Barzani, President of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan. It was not immediately known if Kouchner would also visit Baghdad.

Kouchner's visit lastAugust marked the first public contact between France and the Iraqi government since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 which France roundly criticised.

The French Foreign Ministry said the latest visit would see Kouchner hold meetings with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

A ministry statement in Paris said the latest visit, shortly before France assumes the rotating presidency of the European Union, was in line with 'France's renewed political engagement toward Iraq.'