PARIS, Aug. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- French President Jacques Chirac will go to Riyadh on Tuesday to "present France's condolences" at King Fahd's funeral, his office said on Monday.

    Chirac also called new Saudi King Abdullah on Monday afternoon to express his "most sincere condolences" and sent "his wishes" to the new monarch and the Saudi people, his office said.

    He had expressed earlier France "great emotion" and his "profound sadness" at the death of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, "friend head of state and respected sovereign".

    "During his reign, King Fahd put the safety of his people above all 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," said Chirac in a statement.

    Chirac also stressed that the monarch had done much to promote "the strong and trusting relationship" between Saudi Arabia and France.

    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 the successor. Enditem