No French objection for the visit of the Pope to Iraq

The French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said today that France has no objections on the visit to be held by Pope John Paul II to Iraq, in contradiction to the stances of the US and Britain. In a statement to pressmen today in the Vatican, following his meeting with the Pope, Vedrine said he had discussed with the Pope current international issues as well as the desire of the Pope to visit the Iraqi city of Or.