PARIS, Nov 18 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier has called Condoleezza Rice, nominated to become the next US secretary of state, to propose seizing the opportunity to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his office said Thursday.
Barnier called Rice Wednesday, after US President George W. Bush nominated her to take over from Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is stepping down.
Barnier's office said the French minister "took the initiative to call Dr Rice the day after her nomination by President Bush to the post of secretary of state, for an initial contact before her nomination is confirmed by the senate," spokesman Herve Ladsous said.
Barnier "used the occasion to stress our hopes of using the window of opportunity which has presented itself to renew the Middle East peace process," he said.
The conversation came days after Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat died in a Paris military hospital and was flown back for burial in his West Bank compound.
Barnier and Rice also dicussed developments in Africa, transatlantic relations, Haiti, Afghanistan and the campaign against international terrorism, Ladsous said.
"He congratulated Dr Rice and expressed his wish to meet her as soon as is practical," he said.
Rice was widely quoted last year as saying the United States should "punish France, ignore Germany and forgive Russia" for refusing to take part in the invasion of Iraq predicated on the supposed threat of weapons of mass destruction.
Paris-Washington ties have remained strained for the past two years because of Iraq, but some observers believe Rice, as secretary of state, may now strive to reach out to France and other countries in a bid to win international support.
11/18/2004 15:43 GMT - AFP