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Brown and Sarkozy set for UK meeting

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will build on a new spirit of Anglo-French cooperation this week by calling for action to halt financial turmoil and by urging UN reform.

  • Reuters
  • Published: 08:55 March 26, 2008
  • Gulf News

London: Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will build on a new spirit of Anglo-French cooperation this week by calling for action to halt financial turmoil and by urging UN reform.

They will also discuss a possible French role in building new British nuclear power plants, action on illegal immigration and how to square French wishes for a greater EU role in defence with Britain's staunch support of NATO.

Sarkozy arrives in Britain on Wednesday for a two-day state visit, the first by a French president since Jacques Chirac in 1996. He and his new wife Carla Bruni will be guests of Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, near London.

While their personalities differ -- Sarkozy is an extrovert while Brown is seen as a brooding introvert -- they have struck up a good relationship since coming to power in mid 2007. And after solid starts, both have seen their popularity slump.

Sarkozy has been keen to start afresh after French relations with the United States and Britain were strained by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq which Chirac resisted.

Some analysts believe he is also reaching out to Britain because he does not get on well with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Berlin and Paris traditionally dominate the EU.

"France recognises you can't do what you want in the EU when you've only got Germany on side, you need Britain as well," said Robin Shepherd, a Europe expert at Britain's Chatham House think-tank.

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