(Adds comments from French foreign minister, details) PARIS, Feb 2. (Reuters) - French Defence Minister Herve Morin said on Saturday France had a "neutral" military position in the conflict in Chad between the government and rebel troops, who have battled their way into the capital N'Djamena. "We continue to remain neutral in this combat," Morin told France 3 television. Asked about Morin's comments, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France 2 television: "I would not use the word 'neutral.' We support the party in power, we support legality." He said France condemned the Chadian rebels' violent advance. "This is about a brutal attack against an elected and legitimate president and we strongly condemn it, as does the rest of the international community," Kouchner said. A French diplomatic source said Kouchner was not contradicting Morin's position. The source said Morin was referring specifically to France's military stance on the Chad fighting, while Kouchner was only referring to France's political position. Kouchner said French President Nicolas Sarkozy had spoken to his Chad counterpart Idriss Deby three times on Saturday to discuss the situation. He also said France wanted a ceasefire in the conflict and for negotiations to begin. Morin said France had sent over a plane to help evacuate any foreign citizens who wished to leave Chad. A French foreign ministry source said around 500 people were expected to leave. French TV reports said foreigners in Chad were in hotels near the country's main airport so they could be evacuated quickly. Foreigners leaving Chad will first be flown to Gabon's capital Libreville and then to Paris, where they are expected to arrive on Sunday. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Caroline Drees)
