French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier returned to Pairs from Amman on Saturday evening after his Middle East tour to gain the release of two French journalists, still held in hostage in Iraq, French radio RFI reported.

"I am going back to Paris now to give an account of the first part of my mission to the president and the prime minister," Barnier said.

"I will continue to follow the situation personally, hour by hour, in liaison with our team in Amman. I am ready to come back to Amman at any moment," he said.

The French minister confirmed that the two journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, who were reportedly kidnapped on their way from Baghdad to the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Najaf on Aug. 20, are in good health and well treated.

Barnier is expect to discuss the hostage issue with French President Jacques Chirac on Sunday, Chirac's office announced later on Saturday.

Barnier has spent one week in the Middle East, first to Egypt, then Amman, and flying back to Egypt again before travelling to Doha and Amman.

Earlier in the day, French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin declared confident for a happy ending of the hostage crisis when he greeted the delegation of the French Council for Muslim Faith (CFCM) coming back from Amman after heading for Baghdad to mediate the release of the French hostages.

"All the indications lead to us hope for their release soon ...but we have to remain very prudent," said De Villepin.

The kidnappers, calling themselves the Islamic Army of Iraq, demanded Paris revoke a law banning Islamic headscarves in state schools. Despite the threat, France remained firm on the headscarves ban and the French new academic year started smoothly Thursday with the law taking effect as planned.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2004)