Meeting with his French counterpart in Paris on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul expressed criticisms and concerns about the French Parliament's passage of a bill last October to penalize people who question the Armenian Genocide claims.

Dozens of people go on trial Monday for suspected roles in a network that recruited desperate pregnant women from Bulgaria, brought them to France and sold their newborns to childless couples.

The government of France says it may send an envoy to Iran for talks on the Middle East, including the situation in Lebanon.

France's ruling conservative party has officially named Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy as its candidate for president, setting the stage for a showdown campaign with socialist nominee Segolene Royal.

French President Jacques Chirac left open the possibility on Thursday that he might seek a third term and made clear that, if he doesn't, he does not intend to take a back seat during what will be his last few months in power.

French President Jacques Chirac and socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal have offered sharply differing views of France's future.

Mr. Chirac proposed corporate tax cuts, while Royal backed measures to ensure housing security.

The French defense minister said France is willing to send its remaining troops in Afghanistan anywhere in the country to help in emergencies.

France has announced it will withdraw about 200 members of its military special forces from Afghanistan in the next few weeks.