Senior Iraqi official visits France

The speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Saadoun Hammadi, has begun a four-day visit to France.

It's his first visit to a European Union country since an international embargo was imposed on Iraq in 1990.

He's been invited by the French Senate and is to have talks with a senior Foreign Ministry official during his stay. The visit has been condemned by Iraqi opposition groups based in France. France has pushed for a relaxation of sanctions against Baghdad.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service