French President Jacques Chirac said on Wednesday changes are needed to a new draft UN resolution on Iraq put forward by the United States and Britain.
"Although it is a good basis for discussion, it needs further improvement to affirm and confirm the full sovereignty of the Iraqi government, particularly in the military domain," Chirac told reporters.
The United States earlier voiced confidence it could "accommodate the requests and views" of most of the UN Security Council's 15 members in the revised resolution on Iraq. France is one of five permanent veto-wielding members of the Security Council, along with China, Russia, Britain and the United States.
The United States and Britain submitted a second draft resolution on Tuesday giving Iraq considerable authority over its security and economy after Washington's planned handover on June 30, but diplomats wanted more specifics on sovereignty.
The draft does not stipulate a date ending the mandate of a US-led multinational force in Iraq, now about 160,000 strong. The presence of foreign forces in Iraq after the handover has been a burning issue for many nations involved in the debate.
Germany welcomed the revised draft but said further discussions were necessary. Russia said it was taking a constructive approach towards the draft, but needed to be satisfied about Washington's planned handover.
Chirac had conciliatory words for US President George W. Bush in the run-up to June 6 commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the World War Two D-Day landings in Normandy.
He denied relations between himself and Bush had ever disintegrated or been affected by their disagreement over the US-led war in Iraq last year that ousted Saddam Hussein. "I was never angry with him and I never had the feeling he was angry with me. We had a disagreement of views and that's normal," Chirac said.
He said the D-Day commemorations should reflect the "appreciation of France in particular, and Europe in general, for those Americans that came to Europe at a particularly dramatic time in its history and who gave their assistance and blood".
Any resolution on Iraq needs the support of at least nine members of the 15-nation Security Council and no veto from the five permanent members.
Pacifists demonstrate ahead of Bush visit Opponents of the war in Iraq unfurled peace flags from Rome's bridges, put hoods on statues and chanted "Bush Go Home" on Wednesday two days before the US president makes a controversial visit to Italy.
The demonstrations took place in various parts of the Italian capital as political leaders attended the annual Republic Day military parade under tight security.
The demonstrators, who have dubbed themselves "The Disobedient", held their own march nearby but police in riot gear were on hand to keep them away from the parade route.
Protesters, including some leftist parliamentarians, chanted "Peace Now!", "Troops Out of Iraq!" and "Italy hates war". Bush told Italian state television he valued freedom of speech and was not afraid of protests during his Rome visit.
Some 25 people were detained in Rome after minor scuffles with military police. Further north in Bologna, violence escalated as police wielding batons beat back protesters who broke through barricades at an anti-war demonstration.
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