French foreign minister arrives in Baghdad

PARIS, Aug 19 (Reuters) French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Baghdad for an official visit today, his ministry said in a statement.

''At the invitation of Mr. Jalal Talabani, president of Iraq, the foreign minister has just begun an official visit to Baghdad,'' the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

''Bernard Kouchner is in Baghdad to express a French message of solidarity with the Iraqi people and to listen to the representatives of all communities.'' France led international opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 under former President Jacques Chirac.

This month President Nicolas Sarkozy and US President George W.

Bush stressed friendship over disagreement at a lunch at the Bush family estate aimed at improving relations strained by the Iraq war.

REUTERS RKM PM2000