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France will not deploy military forces in Iraq, visiting French President Jacques Chirac said in Madrid Thursday.
"Today we are a long way from being in a situation where France could participate militarily in Iraq," he said.
Chirac met Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on Thursday to analyze the situation in Iraq at Quintos de Mora, a small hamlet some 150 km south of Madrid. Both leaders tried to set aside their differences on the Iraq conflict and seek ways of creating a stable and democratic future for the country.
France did not agree with the decision of the United States and Britain to invade Iraq without the approval of the United Nations.
But it is not proper to think of the past only and the important thing is the future and stability of the region, so France will examine "with an open mind" the resolution, which the United States seeks to pass in the UN Security Council on the future of Iraq, Chirac said.
He insisted that the French government is open to every debate. However, at this very moment, there is no scenario that would make France consider getting militarily involved in Iraq.
To Aznar, it would be convenient to seek a solution with a more extensive consensus on the security and stability of Iraq.
Aznar added that Spain has always defended the key role of the United Nation in Iraq, and hoped that the proposal backed by the United States would lead to a consensus.
(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2003)
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