American and French officials say the last three French citizens held at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are expected to soon be released to French authorities.

The timing and details of the hand-over have not been confirmed. But a lawyer for one of the men said talks are now focused on the logistics of their repatriation.

The reported agreement came just before U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Paris for talks with French President Jacques Chirac.

Officials say Mustaq Ali Patel, Ridouane Khalid and Khaled Ben Mustafa were captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001 or early 2002.

Four other French detainees, who were handed over to France in July, are still being held by French authorities on suspecion of links to terrorist networks.