13 July 2004	Tuesday	24 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

PARIS, July 12: France and Iraq on Monday re-established diplomatic ties cut more than 13 years ago by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in 1991.

As the announcement was made simultaneously in Paris and Baghdad, a French flag was raised above the newly-established French embassy - used as France's interests section since 1995 - in the Iraqi capital.

France thus becomes the latest country to re-establish ties with Iraq, following in the wake of the United States and Britain. "The government of the French Republic and the government of Iraq ... on the basis of mutual respect for their sovereignty and in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter have taken the decision to re-establish diplomatic relations from July 12," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The two governments are convinced that this decision will contribute to a strengthening of links between France and Iraq and to an intensification of their exchanges, in the best interests of the two countries," it said.

The statement, issued by foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous, said the two countries would exchange ambassadors "as quickly as possible". At the weekend, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in an interview that Baghdad would soon name ambassadors to 43 countries around the world, including Iran, Kuwait and Syria. -AFP