French President Mr Jacques Chirac said today that the United Nations was the only legitimate framework for action on Iraq and that a "last option" military strike could be averted.
"We want to act collectively, within the framework of the United Nations, which alone ensures the legitimacy of any action," Mr Chirac told parliament in Lebanon, where he is guest of honour at a summit of Francophone countries.
"It is both a moral and political necessity. It's a guarantee of success. It's also the future of international relations which is at stake here. Military action, the last option, is not a foregone conclusion. Let us first bet on responsibility and security in the framework of peace." he said.
The remarks came as The United States prepared to submit a draft UN Security Council resolution authorising the use of force against Iraq if it does not fully cooperate with UN arms inspectors searching for any weapons of mass destruction.
Security Council member France is pushing for two separate resolutions, with only the second one authorising military force if arms inspectors say Iraq has not complied with U.N. demands.
Mr Chirac said France was doing everything it could to find a diplomatic way out of the Iraq crisis, but added that Baghdad must disarm to help avert war.
Chirac also emphasised his country's commitment to a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and called on Israel and the Palestinians to help revive stalled peacemaking efforts.
"Each of the parties must prove its good intentions. The Palestinian Authority by reforming, and Israel by withdrawing from Palestinian territories," he said, calling for an international conference to work toward negotiated peace.