US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived late yesterday afternoon in Paris, where she is to talk with French President Jacques Chirac, as part of a lightning tour of European capitals for consultations on Iran.

Topics surrounding Iran, the Mideast and Lebanon would be at the center of their talks, which will also cover the situation in Belarus, according to the French Foreign Ministry.

The visit followed a stop in Berlin, where Rice talked with her counterparts from the other permanent member countries (Britain, China, France and Russia) of the United Nations Security Council and Germany over Iran's nuclear program.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a non-binding statement giving Iran 30 days to abandon its uranium enrichment activities.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy will also join the talks Thursday afternoon at the Elysee palace.

Rice's European tour will also take her to Britain for a weekend hosted by her British counterpart Jack Straw in his northern England hometown of Blackburn near Liverpool.