French president Jacques Chirac on Friday invited his Iraqi counterpart, interim president Ghazi al-Yawer, to Paris for talks. In a speech to French diplomats in Paris, Chirac said France was behind the re-establishment of Iraqi sovereignty and wanted to contribute to the further development of the country, especially with regard to elections slated for early 2005. The French leader proposed that the meeting take place in early September, although no exact date has been set. ---SP 2239 Local Time 1939 GMT
