PARIS, Jan 9: French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday underlined the continued split between Paris and Washington in foreign policy, reaffirming France's vision of a multipolar world and pointing to the risks of the occupation of Iraq.

In his annual New Year address to all of France's ambassadors in the French capital, Mr Chirac said that only a multilateralism regulated by international law can prevent clashes between rival regional powers.

"More and more the multipolar world is becoming a reality," Mr Chirac told the assembled diplomats, pointing to the increasing power of China, India and the Latin American trade bloc, Mercosur.

"This development is going to gain speed and we are moving towards a world where political, economic and cultural influence is going to be shared more and more."

Mr Chirac's oft-repeated doctrine of multilateralism unsettles Washington, which fears it will become a recipe for greater international antagonism rather than cooperation.

Mr Chirac also made clear that huge differences remain over Iraq's future, warning against the risks of the US-led occupation of the country and calling for sovereignty to be handed over to Iraqis as soon as possible.-AFP