Framework accord most promising settlement to Sahara issue, france says

France said Thursday that the framework accord option for the Sahara, proposed by James Baker (Personal Envoy of the U.N. Secretary-General for the Sahara), is "the most promising" solution to the issue.

"We wish that the new extension of the mandate of the MINURSO (U.N. mission in the Sahara) will help the U.N. Security Council progress on this path (of the framework accord)," said Francois Rivasseau, spokesman for the French foreign department.

The Security Council on Tuesday extended MINURSO mandate for a three-month period until next July 31 to give members more time to discuss a report presented last February to the Council by U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

France wishes that the Security Council will be able at the end of these three months to meet the expectations of the U.N. Secretary-General and renew its backing to James Baker," the Quai D'Orsay spokesman said.

Paris had said Tuesday that the framework accord is "the sole option likely to help a realistic solution and lasting settlement" to the Sahara issue.

The accord gives the Sahara a large autonomy under Moroccan kingty.