The French leadership "is focused on efforts" to free hostages, Mr. Chirac said.
He thanked Vladimir Putin and the whole world community for support.
Mr. Chirac refused to comment on the demand by terrorists to lift the ban on wearing hijabs in French schools.
In turn, speaking on the situation in Iraq, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the international community must adopt an additional complex of measures to settle the situation in Iraq.
The president believes that another important trend of international cooperation is the fight against international terrorism, and here, Russia is ready for cooperation both in the European and trans-Atlantic formats.
French journalists - Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot - are considered missing in Iraq since August 19. On Saturday evening their abductors delivered an ultimatum to the French authorities. They demanded to cancel in 48 hours' time the law that bans wearing religious clothes and symbols, including Moslem kerchiefs, in French state schools.
The deadline ended Monday evening, but early on Tuesday news arrived that the Islamic Army in Iraq armed group that keeps the French journalists hostage extended the deadline by 24 hours.
The French authorities demand that the kidnappers free journalists with no conditions.
