(CNN) -- France will begin the administrative process to extradite former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega to the Central American country, the French foreign ministry said Monday. The "consent of the United States" allows the extradition process to start, the French foreign ministry said on its website. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the case and specifically on whether the United States gave its "consent." The former dictator will have a month to appeal the extradition after the French government notifies him, the foreign ministry said. Panama has requested Noriega's extradition to face charges he had a political rival killed. Last year a French court sentenced him to seven years in prison for money-laundering. Noriega also was fined almost 2.3 million euros ($2.9 million), the amount of drug money he was accused of laundering through French banks. Noriega denied the charges. During the trial, Noriega told the court he once had a strong relationship with the United States. "I received high praise from the U.S., Interpol and other countries who all benefited from my fight against drugs," Noriega said. He also received the Legion d'Honneur from the French government when he led Panama. The U.S. government has portrayed Noriega as the ultimate crooked cop -- a man who was paid millions by the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia to protect cocaine and money shipments. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cleared the way for Noriega to be sent to France in April 2010 after he spent 20 years in a U.S. federal prison. Noriega and his attorneys had argued the United States was violating the Geneva Convention by not sending him back to Panama, where he was seized by U.S. troops after the United States invaded that country in 1989 in Operation Nifty Package. U.S. federal courts ruled against him. When U.S. forces invaded the country, Noriega fled his offices and tried to seek sanctuary in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City. U.S. troops set up large speakers around the compound, blaring music at all hours, a psychological ploy to rattle the general. He eventually surrendered on January 3, 1990, and was quickly escorted to the United States for a civilian trial. Noriega's U.S. sentence, originally for 30 years, ended in September 2007 after time off for good behavior. However, he remained in prison while the French extradition issue was decided. While in U.S. custody, Noriega suffered from prostate cancer and had a stroke. "On this subject, all I'm prepared to say from the podium today is that this is both a law enforcement matter and a matter of our confidential diplomatic correspondence, so I can't get into the details," said Victoria Nuland, the State Department spokeswoman.
NEW: A U.S. State Department spokeswoman declines to comment on the case .
Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega will have a month to appeal the extradition .
French officials say the "consent of the United States" allows the process to start .
Panama requests Noriega's extradition on charges he had a political rival killed .
(CNN) -- France will begin the administrative process to extradite former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega to the Central American country, the French foreign ministry said Monday. The "consent of the United States" allows the extradition process to start, the French foreign ministry said on its website. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the case and specifically on whether the United States gave its "consent." The former dictator will have a month to appeal the extradition after the French government notifies him, the foreign ministry said. Panama has requested Noriega's extradition to face charges he had a political rival killed. Last year a French court sentenced him to seven years in prison for money-laundering. Noriega also was fined almost 2.3 million euros ($2.9 million), the amount of drug money he was accused of laundering through French banks. Noriega denied the charges. During the trial, Noriega told the court he once had a strong relationship with the United States. "I received high praise from the U.S., Interpol and other countries who all benefited from my fight against drugs," Noriega said. He also received the Legion d'Honneur from the French government when he led Panama. The U.S. government has portrayed Noriega as the ultimate crooked cop -- a man who was paid millions by the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia to protect cocaine and money shipments. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cleared the way for Noriega to be sent to France in April 2010 after he spent 20 years in a U.S. federal prison. Noriega and his attorneys had argued the United States was violating the Geneva Convention by not sending him back to Panama, where he was seized by U.S. troops after the United States invaded that country in 1989 in Operation Nifty Package. U.S. federal courts ruled against him. When U.S. forces invaded the country, Noriega fled his offices and tried to seek sanctuary in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City. U.S. troops set up large speakers around the compound, blaring music at all hours, a psychological ploy to rattle the general. He eventually surrendered on January 3, 1990, and was quickly escorted to the United States for a civilian trial. Noriega's U.S. sentence, originally for 30 years, ended in September 2007 after time off for good behavior. However, he remained in prison while the French extradition issue was decided. While in U.S. custody, Noriega suffered from prostate cancer and had a stroke. "On this subject, all I'm prepared to say from the podium today is that this is both a law enforcement matter and a matter of our confidential diplomatic correspondence, so I can't get into the details," said Victoria Nuland, the State Department spokeswoman.
"consent of the United States" allows the extradition process to start, the French foreign the U.S. State Department declined to comment on will have a month to appeal the extradition after extradition to face charges he had a political Nuland, the State Department spokeswoman.