PARIS, Aug. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- French President Jacques Chirac expressed on Monday France's "deep emotion" and "profound sadness"over the death of Saudi King Fahd.

    "During his reign, King Fahd put the safety of his people aboveall else. In perilous times, he was the guarantor of his country's cohesion and the defender of regional stability. He knew how to apply wisdom to the Kingdom's changes." Chirac said in a statement released by his office.

    He also stressed that King Fahd had made great efforts to promote "the strong and trusting relationship" between Saudi Arabia and France.

    "The old friendship, which has prevailed since General (Charles) de Gaulle's establishment of exceptional ties between the two nations, took on a new dimension under his reign, informed bya shared vision of major regional and international developments,"he added.

    King Fahd died early Monday at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the Saudi capital of Riyadh where he was admitted to the hospital in May due to acute pneumonia.

    Fahd's half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah was named successor.Enditem