French President Jacques Chirac said Thursday that it would be of "great importance" if Brazil could take control of the peacekeeping forces to be deployed in Haiti in the second phase, presidential spokesman Andre Singer said.

During a telephone conversation between Chirac and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president said Brazil would send 1,100 soldiers in two or three months to join the UN multilateral force in the second phase, the spokesman said.

President Chirac said the participation of Brazilian troops wasfundamental in the second phase of the international peace operation. He added it would be of great importance if Brazil takes the leadership of this force, which will be formed by troopsfrom Canada, France, the United States, Argentina, and Caribbean nations, as well as Brazil, Singer said.

Chirac told Lula that the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan backed the idea of Brazil's leadership of the peacekeeping forces.

Lula said Brazil will be at the disposition of the United Nations to send troops and take command if necessary.