PARIS -- French mass media on Friday gave a wide coverage of the visit to Iran by the French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and Iran's achievements in social, political and industrial fields.

The French TV channels said the Islamic Republic has gained great achievements in terms of human rights issues as well as industrial and nuclear spheres, IRNA reported.

They said Iran is strongly committed to its pledges on the non-proliferation of nuclear weaponry.

TV channel LSE in its Friday news report commented on the French FM visit to Iran and said Paris supports Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's stands on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

It said Villepin has asked Iran to sign the protocols annexed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty which allows the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect the nuclear sites of Iran without prior notice.

The Paris-based daily Les Echos said Iran has obtained considerable achievements and French Foreign Minister Villepin has expressed pleasure with the positions taken by Tehran on the atomic activities.

The daily Liberation said Villepin had watershed talks with the Iranian authorities on the bilateral relations and nuclear matter. French Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin, heading a political delegation, arrived in Tehran on the third leg of his Middle East tour, after visiting Ankara and Amman on April 23.

The expansion of the bilateral ties, consultations on regional and international issues and focus on the Palestinian-Israeli crisis were among the topics discussed in meetings between the two sides.