French President Jacques Chirac expressed his concerns over the war in Chechnya during a meeting with visiting former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov on November 27.

During the one-hour meeting, Chirac called on Russia to seek a political solution to the Chechen problem and to arrange a visit to the northern Caucasus by a delegation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), according to the Elysee Presidential Palace spokeswoman Catherine Colonna.

On his part, Primakov, who arrived here on Friday, explained Russia's stand on the Chechen conflict,the spokeswoman said.

Chirac and Primakov also discussed the entire situation in the Caucasus region, including the conflict in Nargorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Relations between France and Russia were strained recently after a "foreign minister" from Chechnya visited Paris early this month.