French President Jacques Chirac is expected to visit Washington on "a date as soon as possible" to see US President George W. Bush, Chirac's office said Wednesday.  

Chirac "has accepted the invitation of President Bush to go to Washington on a date as soon as possible," the French Presidential Elysee Palace said without specifying the date, which is to be determined by the two presidents' offices and which would be in early 2005, before or after Bush's European tour scheduled for February.

The two leaders are also to have talks during the American president's visit in Brussels on February 22 in the margin of a NATO summit, Chirac's office said.

These meetings would contribute to warm up French-American ties chilled since France declared opponent to the US-led Iraqi war in 2003.

Chirac's forthcoming visit to Washington will be the first one since his last visit to the United States in September 2001, to become the first head of state to visit the country after the September 11 attacks.

Bush visited France in June 2003 to attend the Group of Eight industrialized countries (G8) in Evian and then in June 2004 to participate to the ceremonies for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The two leaders met in June 2004 at Sea Island in the United States at a G8 meeting and then in Istanbul at a NATO summit.

The forthcoming visit would focus on the stability in Iraq, the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and all problems related to fighting terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

The French president would also mention some issues such as financing the development of the poor countries, which will be listed on the agenda of the next G8 summit under British presidency and a UN summit over development in September.

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier last week visited Washington to talk over the Mideast issue with outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Powell's successor, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2004)