French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday congratulated US President George W. Bush on his re-election and hoped to reinforce French-US ties and the transatlantic partnership.  

"On behalf of France, and on my personal behalf, I would like to express to you my most sincere congratulations for your re-election to the presidency of the United States of America," Chirac wrote to Bush, whom he called "Dear George."

"I hope that your second term will provide an opportunity to reinforce the Franco-American friendship," Chirac said in the letter released by his office.

"We can only find satisfactory solutions to the numerous challenges with which we are confronted today through a close transatlantic partnership," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2004)