At the dinner party held in honor of Crown Prince Abdullah,. Chirac expressed happiness for the visit of Crown Prince Abdullah to France, and highlighted the existing friendly relation between the Kingdom and France. 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not only a friendly country with which France has always been conducting a dialogue, but it is also one of the effective countries in the international community', he said noting that the Kingdom is keen on preservation of balance, stability and peace in the Middle East. Chirac praised the responsible role being played by the kingdom in the energy market. He pointed out that nine years ago, he had concluded with the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz a distinguished partnership, and said the partnership had positively contributed to further enhancing Saudi-French relations. Chriac underlined the importance of regular consultations between the Kingdom and France on issues of mutual interest. He described the elections held in Iraq on Jan 30, 2005 as an importance political development, and said they were held in line with the resolution 1546. 'Intensive efforts should be exerted for reconstruction of Iraq and establishing a democratic government there', he said . As regards Lebanon, Chriac expressed grief and sorrow over the assassination of Rafiq Hariri , and said France will unwaveringly support the right of the Lebanese people to regain democracy, independence and sovereignty through democratic elections.--more1129 Local Time 0829 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/254581