After a meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Ana Palacio, Villepin told a press conference in Madrid that the participation of the UN and Arab countries in the reconstruction process of Iraqis of utmost importance.

He also stressed the need for Iraqi people "to live in a secure, united and sovereign country".

The US and British forces should take responsibility for the security problem now in Iraq, but the necessary "authority" of Iraq could only come from the UN, Villepin stressed.

"We need legitimacy, it is an authority problem, and in this sense we see the situation is not easy," he said.

"It needs to have the energy and support from the countries of the region, the Arab world and the international community. The only possibility for reaching a positive result is when the whole world works in the same direction," the French foreign minister added.

Palacio said at this moment, the US-led forces in Iraq must take into account the needs of Iraqi people prior to the formation of a "classic government."

France stood firmly against US-led military actions against Iraq, while Spain was one of the few western countries which supported the war.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2003)