Entente très cordiale as Sarkozy calls for UK and France to stand together

NICOLAS Sarkozy, the French president, used his state visit to Britain yesterday to call for a "new brotherhood" between his country and the UK – which he described as "an inspiration".

Fighting to reassert himself as a serious politician after all the paparazzi interest in his whirlwind relationship with model turned singer Carla Bruni, he called for the two countries to "write a new page in our common history".

In a speech, delivered in French to both Houses of Parliament, Mr Sarkozy stressed the similarities between the UK and France in terms of population, GDP, defence priorities and the number of troops they had deployed around the world.

"Our two countries have to make sure their ideas resound around the world," he said. "If we work and speak up together on climate change and global warming, our voices will be heard, even by those who still doubt how serious a threat this is for our planet."

He also said Europe was of central importance to both France and the UK.

The French president and his wife had touched down at Heathrow earlier in the day, and their arrival generated a huge amount of interest.

After weeks of speculation about her first major outing on the world stage, Ms Bruni – clad in a prim, knee-length grey ensemble and sensible black pumps – curtsied confidently as she met the Queen. The Prince of Wales had kissed her hand as she stepped off the plane.

Salutes were fired from Windsor Castle and the Tower of London as the Marseillaise and God Save The Queen were played. Amid calls for a new "Entente Amicale", the Queen made Mr Sarkozy an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

Before the president addressed parliamentarians, the couple had paid a symbolic tribute to Britain's war dead, pausing at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

Introducing Mr Sarkozy, the Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, took the chance to remind him of Scotland's long-standing relationship with France, the "auld alliance".

Ahead of a Franco-British summit tomorrow – the main topics will be energy, immigration, security and defence – the president greeted Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, French-style, with a kiss on both cheeks, before beginning his address to parliament.

There was rapturous applause as he paid tribute to the sacrifice of past generations of British servicemen in liberating France.

He said: "On behalf of the people of France, France will never forget. France will never forget that. when it was virtually wiped out, down on its knees, it was Britain who stood by us."

In a reference to a very modern war, he also hinted France could be about to step up its commitment in Afghanistan.

During his speech, he also dealt with topics such as climate change, reform of the European Union's common agricultural policy and the threat from Iran.

Speaking the day after hinting that he might boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in China, he said there could be no solution to the tensions in Tibet until there was "true dialogue" between Beijing and the Dalai Lama.

He said Britain and France had a "shared vision of the future" and "the same determination to act", adding: "Of course, the challenges are not the same as they used to be, but what hasn't changed is the need for us…to stand side by side, to speak the same message of civilisation.

"The time has come for the British and French people…to overcome our long-standing rivalry and build a future where we are stronger precisely because we are together."

Mr Sarkozy said he would never forget how he and his wife had been welcomed to Britain.

"So, from the bottom of my heart, I say long live Franco-British friendship, long live the United Kingdom, long live France," he concluded.

Last night, Mr Sarkozy and his wife were due to be guests of the Queen at a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle.