French foreign minister to visit Moscow and other capitals to discuss Iraq developments

French foreign minister Dominique de Villepin intends to visit Moscow and other European capitals early next week to discuss the critical situation around Iraq.

An official spokesman for the French foreign ministry, Francois Rivasseau, said Friday that on Monday, Mr Villepin planned to hold negotiations with his counterparts in Berlin and Moscow. On Tuesday he is scheduled to have meetings with the foreign ministers of Italy and Spain.

Mr Rivasseau stated that in the course of these negotiations the minister was expected to consider "the critical situation around Iraq and recent developments there."