Report on 'idle diplomats' dismissed

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner yesterday dismissed a report that dozens of ambassadors were sitting in his ministry with little to do, adding that only six were awaiting a diplomatic mission.

Last week, newspaper Le Figaro quoted from a letter it had obtained in which the head of the state audit office expressed concern at the number of senior diplomats left "without an adequate assignment" for more than a few months.

The audit office found that in 2006, 127 diplomats qualified to serve as ambassadors were performing tasks well below their skill level, the newspaper reported.