PARIS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani appealed Wednesday for large scale of investment by French enterprises to Iraq when addressing a main French employers' association here.

    On his third day in France, 75-year-old Talabani took his delegation of industrial elites to drum up business opportunities in Iraq, encouraging French companies to invest in "all sectors" of Iraq.

    "The perspectives are very positive. You should show courage." the Iraqi president told members of Movement of France's Enterprises (Medef).

    Speaking of oil exploitation industry in Iraq, Talabani said "the system of auctions isn't solely based on figures. We might give preference to the figure coming from a French company."

    Talabani spoke out favor for the French energy giant Total. "We would like to see Total working on our oil deposits."

    New auction of Iraq oil exploitation projects would be launched on Dec. 11-12. Some 44 companies will participate in the biding for 10 contracts.

    The Iraqi leader met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Monday, the first day of his visit. On Tuesday, he also held talks with French Senate Speaker Gerard Larcher and National Assembly speaker Bernard Accoyer.

    During bilateral talks in the first two days of Talabani's stay in France, the host country showed much support for Iraq to realize full place at international stage.

    Followed by respective visits of Sarkozy and Fillion to Iraq early this year, the relations between France and Iraq, which has been frozen after France's open opposition to 2003 U.S. invasion in Iraq, warmed up quickly.