BERLIN, Sept 18: France and Germany both said on Thursday they could help train Iraqi soldiers and police, but France insisted the United States hand power to an Iraqi government in “months, not years”.

Speaking after talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin, French President Jacques Chirac said France and Germany shared the same position on Iraq ahead of trilateral talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Berlin on Saturday.

“We are naturally worried about the situation in Iraq. We have the same analysis of the situation. We think that an approach based only on security will not be able to restore security and stability in Iraq,” Chirac told a news conference.

“... we should as rapidly as possible move towards a more political solution, that is the rapid transfer, under the control of the United Nations, of governmental responsibilities to Iraq’s current governmental body.

“Rapidly as possible of course means months and not years,” Chirac added.

During their meeting in Berlin, Schroeder raised the possibility of offering to train local security forces to help stabilise Iraq, Chirac said.

“If the Chancellor confirms this position, France will take the same (position) for the same reasons,” Chirac said.

Mr Chirac and Mr Schroeder have said US plans to invite outside countries to contribute troops to its military effort failed to hand enough power to the United Nations and the Iraqis.

A French official on Thursday said that France and Germany see a real danger of a worsening security situation in Iraq, which the European Union says could hamper the disbursement of funds to be pledged next month.

Washington is working on a new Iraq resolution to present to the UN Security Council and hopes to present it before President George W. Bush addresses the General Assembly next Tuesday.

Schroeder, Chirac and Blair meet in Berlin on Saturday in a bid to heal splits in Europe over the Iraq war and agree policies that analysts say could pressure Washington to compromise over Iraq’s future.

Schroeder declined to say what measures the three leaders were likely to discuss on Saturday.

“We hope you will understand that we would first like to tell our colleagues what we want to discuss with them before we tell the public,” he said.—Reuters