( 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 ca n'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 .