Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister, on Sunday made a surprise visit to Baghdad to offer his country’s help as the Iraqi government battles to resolve its latest political crisis.

Mr Kouchner’s visit, at the invitation of Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, is the first by a French minister since war broke out in 2003, and was being signalled by diplomatic sources as highly symbolic. He planned to meet representatives of all Iraqi communities “without exception”.