Earlier on Tuesday, during an interview on CNN in Washington, French ambassador to the United States Jean-David Levitte had said if Iraq uses biological or chemical weapons against US-led invaders, it would change completely the situation for the French president and for the French government.

Levitte's words aroused media speculation over whether France's position on Iraq has changed.

In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said Levitte's words do not mean there was any change in France's position on the Iraq issue. It was just a presumption and meant if US forces or those of their allies were to face a new situation such as a chemical or biological attack, France would assess measures of assistance to offer in a spirit of friendship and solidarity, the statement added.

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin Tuesday also reiterated France's unchanged stance on Iraq when speaking in the National Assembly.

He said that despite the fact that the United States has set a 48-hour ultimatum for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, France will uphold its principles and seek a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis. The looming war was not the appropriate response to the troubling situation, he said.

Meanwhile, Raffarin said France not participating in the US-led war does not mean it was an opponent of the United States, and France remains an ally of the United States despite their wide divergence on Iraq.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2003)