After aspectant clashes over Iraqi war, the United States and France work to mend ties through high level visit including US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last Friday and Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns on Wednesday.

Burns told reporters on Wednesday that Washington and Paris work very well together on many subjects.

The number three US diplomacy said it was obvious in Washington that ties with France had been significantly improved during the past year, quoting cooperation over Iranian nuclear program, Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon.

Paris has strongly opposed to the United States at the United Nations over the declaration of war in Iraq in 2003.

France refused to take part in the US-led coalition force in Iraq and Washington threatened in 2003 to "punish" France for its Iraq policy.

French-American ties have been improved via close cooperation in the Syrian troops withdrawal from Lebanon and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit in February to call to open new era in the relationship between Europe and the United States.

During her latest visit to France last Friday, Rice, along with French President Jacques Chirac, warned Iran to restart negotiations over its nuclear programme and threatened to take the issue before the UN security council.

The US secretary of state agreed that "the perspective of an Iran in possession of nuclear weapons is unacceptable."

In addition to the Iranian nuclear programme, Rice's talks focused on Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon and Syria, and the threat posed by bird flu.

For the United States, improved ties with France is increasingly important when Washington, longtime dragged in the Iraqi war, needs European allies' help to win the anti-terrorist fight, analysts say.
 
But differences are still there, they warned.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2005)