The French government has defended its decision to dismiss Britain's compromise deal on a second UN resolution.

In an official statement, Dominique de Villepin, France's foreign minister, said the compromise deal of getting Iraq to settle six key questions did not address the issues raised by the international community.

He described the compromise favoured by Jack Straw as not being aimed at Iraq's disarmament but at easing the way to war.

"The aim is not to grant Iraq a few extra days before embarking on a path leading to the use of force, but to move resolutely forward on the peaceful disarmament route mapped out by the inspections which are a credible alternative to war," he said.

"They are producing results, as Messrs Blix and ElBaradei pointed out in the March 7 report."

He said France felt full compliance by Iraq would only be achieved in a workable timetable.

"France is supporting the efforts of all the countries on the security council which want, in the spirit of UNSCR 1441, to give Iraq a realistic time frame in which to achieve effective disarmament. The success of this disarmament demands the Iraqi authorities' full and wholehearted cooperation," de Villepin said.

"She is supporting the efforts of those who, rejecting the idea of imposing an ultimatum, seek to lay down a set framework for the inspections' work programme and timetable. This is clearly the purpose of the proposals which she herself has presented to the Security Council."