Paris, Feb 7, SPA -- France's foreign minister says a new era inFrench-American relations is beginning, after "cleardisagreement" over Paris' opposition to the U.S.-led Iraqwar. Michel Barnier, in an interview published Monday, urged a"new start" in relations, based on mutual respect and willingness to hear each other's convictions. "A new period is starting," Liberation daily quotedBarnier as saying. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Riceis expected Tuesday in Paris as part of a swing throughEurope and Middle East. Rice's visit and an upcoming trip to Europe by U.S.President George W. Bush are "signs" of the new start intrans-Atlantic alliance, the French minister said. "It's normal that there's a new state of mind on bothsides," he said. "The Americans need to have confidence in Europeans, and accept that Europe has its place on theinternational scene ... and Europeans need to haveconfidence in themselves." "It's in the interest of the United States to understandthat neither they, nor Europeans, can face up to thechallenges of the world alone," Barnier said.--SPA1258 Local Time 0958 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/237420