Strauss-Kahn, who was with his wife French TV personality wife Anne Sinclair, drove himself to the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund and met briefly with his successor and fellow French national Christine Lagarde.

He later addressed a packed auditorium out of reach of the cameras of televisions crews and photographers who had camped outside the IMF all day waiting for the former director.

"He received a very warm welcome," said Paulo Nogueira Batista, who represents Brazil and a group of eight Latin American countries, after the meeting.

"It reflects the fact that he is very much appreciated in the institution," Nogueira Batista said, adding: "People clapped for very long periods."

Another witness, who asked not to be identified, said staff broke into spontaneous applause before Strauss-Kahn began speaking. He did not talk about his court case but did note that the US justice system had been fair, the witness said.

Reuters