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Villepin call to work together
PARIS, France (CNN) -- French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin says it is time for world powers who had disagreed over Iraq to work together to bring peace to the Middle East region. "Together we have to now establish peace according to our principles and also in a constructive spirit... to ensure the unity, the stability and the territorial integrity of Iraq," de Villepin told a news conference Wednesday. De Villepin, who led French opposition at the United Nations to U.S. moves to war, said he believes the U.N. has a central role to play in post-war Iraq. France has called for the suspension of what he called "civil sanctions" on Iraq to take care of the humanitarian needs of the Iraq and manage their resources. The United States is pushing for a total lifting of the sanctions. The removal of any sanctions against Baghdad would have to be approved by the Security Council. "The Middle East... is at a decisive moment in its history," de Villepin said. "We have to face challenges in Iraq -- of course reconstruction, the necessary reconstruction after fall of dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, which everyone is pleased by. "In the Middle East, we have to work towards peace after the creation of a new Palestinian government. As far as France is concerned, as well as Europe, the stakes are high." France, Germany, Russia and others in the U.N. were at odds with the U.S. and Britain prior to the invasion of Iraq and the ousting of Saddam Hussein's regime. Regarding the Middle East peace process, de Villepin said the violence between Israelis and Palestinians must stop, including the renouncement of suicide attacks. He called for the structures of a Palestinian state to be in place by 2005. Diplomatic sources said the road map for a Middle East peace will be presented to both Israel and the Palestinians Wednesday. The United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia have drafted a plan which calls on a series of reciprocal steps leading to resumed peace negotiation and, ultimately, to the creation of the Palestinian state.
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