PARIS, Dec. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- French President Jacques Chirac toldFrench Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on Monday that "all necessary means, in goods, humanitarian aid and medical aid, should be mobilized to meet the needs of the countries stricken bythe tidal waves.

    According to a statement released by Chirac's office, Chirac talked with Raffarin earlier in the day over France's action to meet the humanitarian emergency situation in Southeast Asia hit bytsunamis triggered by a series of huge undersea earthquakes near the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

    Chirac also made sure that the state services are continuing tobe mobilized with the concerned tour-operators to bring aid to theFrench nationals in danger or in difficulty and notably to facilitate their return to France in best conditions, his office said.

    An earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.7 according to the China Earthquake Administration, hit at 6:58 am (0058 GMT) Sunday off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is followedby tsunamis that swept across the coastal countries of the Indian Ocean rim Sunday, destroying villages, flooding cities and killingover 23,700 people.

    About 5,000 French people are on vacation in the stricken region, among whom six were killed and 16 reported missing. Enditem