The one-on-one meeting, shortly before the start of an extraordinary gathering of NATO and EU foreign ministers, was described as "friendly, frank and turning towards the future."

The two men discussed the situation in Iraq, said the source, giving no further details. "It is a day of consultations," he added, before the talks at NATO's Brussels headquarters.

Powell held a series of bilateral meetings with his European counterparts Thursday morning. De Villepin also met NATO chief George Robertson during the morning.

The question of UN involvement in post-war Iraq is fueling continuing transatlantic tension.

France along with most EU states wants the UN to take a leading role in post-war reconstruction, while the US administration is divided on the issue, with hawks saying the United States should remain for a while in charge in Iraq.

SPACE.WIRE