France says willing to open permanent consulate in Basra

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: The French ambassador to Iraq has expressed his country’s desire to open a permanent consulate in Basra province, a spokesperson for Basra’s governor said on Tuesday. “The French ambassador, Jean-François Girault, and his accompanying delegation met on Tuesday with the governor of Basra, the head of its council, several local officials, and two parliamentarians, Wael Abdullateef and Hayfaa Majli,” according to the spokesperson. “The ambassador has conveyed the desire of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to open a permanent French consulate in Basra,” the spokesperson noted. “France has had a consulate in Basra since the 18 th century. Our relations date back to three centuries,” the spokesperson quoted the French envoy as saying. “We aspire to have a French cultural center or a consulate in our province,” the spokesperson added. The Shiite city of Basra lies 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. SS (P 1