BERNARD Kouchner, a world-renowned humanitarian who founded the Doctors with Borders (MSF) charity and served as the UN's representative in Kosovo, is likely to be France's next foreign minister, aides to president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy said overnight.

The 67-year-old, a member of the opposition Socialist Party, was approached by Mr Sarkozy over the last few days and "is ready to enter the government", they said.

According to Le Monde newspaper, he was to see Mr Sarkozy overnight for talks based on a future minister's range of responsibilities...

...Mr Kouchner is famous for developing the theory of "humanitarian intervention" to justify international action against dictators who flout human rights.

In the run-up to the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, he was strongly critical of French policy which he said had encouraged the US and Britain to go to war without UN backing.