France: U.S. plan needs changes
 |  Barnier (left) met Bush at the White House with other G8 foreign ministers earlier this month. |
|  VIDEO |
 CNN's John King breaks down Bush's Iraq policy speech.
 The U.S. president lays out a plan for the transition of power in Iraq.
 Bush says freedom in Iraq will bring hope to the Middle East.
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PARIS, France -- French President Jacques Chirac says a U.S.-British draft resolution outlining the handover of power to an interim Iraqi government has some positive aspects but needs further discussion.
Chirac's office said the French head of state told U.S. President George W. Bush in a telephone conversation that there must be a "real" transfer of power to Iraqis on June 30.
Chirac's office did not say what France wanted changed in the draft, which was presented Monday to the 15-member U.N. Security Council. The draft sets June 30 as the handover date.
Earlier French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Paris wanted "improvements" to the draft resolution.
In an interview with French daily newspaper Le Figaro, he went further, suggesting holding a roundtable with the main players in Iraq to "verify the representiveness" of the country's future government before a U.N. resolution is approved.
"It is a draft -- a draft which should be discussed and improved," Barnier said Tuesday after talks in Paris with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"This government will be credible only if it has real powers," Barnier told Le Figaro, adding that it "must, therefore, be accepted by the different political forces and the main communities, the Sunnis, the Shiites and the Kurds."
France had already said the resolution should make clear that the interim government has a say over what actions U.S.-led forces take once sovereignty is handed over.
Paris also wants the new Iraqi government that emerges from subsequent elections to be able to decide whether international forces remain in the country.
France, which opposed the war in Iraq, holds veto power in the Security Council along with China and Russia, which also said the draft fell short.
"The document leaves Russia and other members of the Security Council asking many questions and needs further work," a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax news agency.
Germany, which opposed the U.S.-led campaign that overthrew Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in March 2003, praised Washington's plans.
"That is a very good basis on which we aim for consensus," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told reporters, referring to both the draft and Bush's Monday night speech mapping out his plans for Iraq.
Germany sits on the Security Council but does not have veto power.
"It is essential for us that we go forward with implementing the resolution in the Security Council," Fischer said.
China, a permanent Security Council member, said it was studying the resolution. It opposed the war and has pressed for an early return of power to Iraqis.
"We are carefully studying the draft resolution on Iraq presented by the United States and Britain," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
Asked if China would contribute troops to a multinational force, Liu said: "On the question you raise, right now it is still too early to discuss it." (Asia reaction)
Power is to be transferred by the U.S.-led occupying force on June 30.
The draft resolution says the interim Iraqi government would "assume the responsibility and authority for governing a sovereign Iraq" but allow U.S. forces there to "take all measures" to keep order and sets no date for their departure.
The text endorses a U.S.-led multinational force, which would have "authority to take all necessary measures to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability."
The draft resolution emerged several hours before Bush's televised speech.
As part of the transition process, U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is due to name an Iraqi president, prime minister, two vice presidents and 26 ministers soon. They would stay in office until elections for a national assembly, due by January 2005.
Attacks on occupying forces in Iraq have thrown into doubt prospects for a peaceful transfer to democratic rule.
