PARIS (AFP) ??” US first lady Laura Bush went in succession a charm offensive in Paris forward insisting on Washington's willingness to work with other countries as her husband tries to repair strained ties with France.

PARIS (AFP) ??” US first lady Laura Bush went in succession a charm offensive in Paris forward insisting on Washington's willingness to work with other countries as her husband tries to repair strained ties with France.

"Certainly being here at UNESCO is a step" Bush told reporters during a brief visit to the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which the United States rejoined last year.

She said the US coming back to UNESCO was "a signal from President (George W) Bush that we want to work with other countries, that he thinks that working with other countries is extremely important."

The first lady, a 57-year-old former train teacher and librarian, was last year named an honorary UNESCO ambassador for the organization's Decade of Literacy.

Last October, she exhibited the US government when Washington formally rejoined UNESCO after a 19-year absence.

She