Baker meets President Chirac after visits to Algeria and Morocco

The UN secretary general's personal Sahara envoy James Baker meets president Jacques Chirac in Paris Wednesday after visits to Algeria and Morocco, said UN spokesman.

Baker could not go Tuesday to Nouakchott, the final leg of his tour in the region, but had a telephone conversation with Mauritanian President Mouaouya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, the source stated.

At the onset of his tour, Kofi Annan's personal envoy said in Algiers he would be exploring ways to reconcile divergences between parties on the implementation of the settlement plan.

The spokesman quoted Baker as saying ways out of the deadlock will be sought not ruling out a quest for new approaches for a final fair and comprehensive solution to the conflict, MAP reported.