"The Iraqi question must be brought back under the control of international law," French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said in Beirut after meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.

De Villepin reiterated "the necessity of a central role for the United Nations, in particular through the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq in order to pursue the application of resolution 1441, voted unanimously by the Security Council."

Lahoud said Lebanon "supported this point of view and in particular the necessity of respecting international law".

De Villepin added: "International law is capable of finding a solution to guarantee Iraq's future and it is illogical that the United Nations' role be limited to humanitarian aspects, since we cannot dissociate them from military and political aspects."

The French minister is touring the Middle East as attention turns to which countries or international institutions will shape Iraq's future.

France was in the forefront of opposition to the US-led war in Iraq, and has since been brushed aside by the United States.

"Of course we share the goal of democracy in Iraq, but it cannot be imposed from the outside, it has to be supported and follow the tradition and culture" of Iraq, de Villepin said.

France's top diplomat, who also held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, is expected in Saudi Arabia later Sunday, on the last leg of a whirlwind regional tour which also took him to Egypt and Syria.

After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Saturday, de Villepin had called for a return of UN arms inspectors to Iraq and quick lifting of the sanctions on the country.

The French foreign minister also outlined five steps to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, inspired in large part by the so-called roadmap drawn up by the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.

In Syria, he called for an end to the war of words between Washington and Damascus over alleged Syrian support for the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein but stopped short of backing Syria's denials of the US accusations.

SPACE.WIRE