LONDON—French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he wanted to build a stronger alliance with Britain and improve cooperation on illegal immigration, defence and the economy during a two-day visit starting on Wednesday.
Sarkozy, accompanied by his new wife Carla Bruni, will be a guest of the Queen, address parliament and hold talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the first state visit by a French president in more than a decade.
"I want a new Franco-British brotherhood," Sarkozy told the BBC in an interview.
"Often it is our differences that are underlined and underscored ... but we enjoy the same music, we like reading the same authors, we have the same enemies throughout the world, we have the same aspiration."
Jacques Chirac was the last French president to pay a state visit to Britain, in 1996. Chirac also visited Britain in 2004 but that was not a state visit.
Brown and Sarkozy have struck up a good relationship since both came to power last year, but the popularity of both leaders has dropped since solid starts. Sarkozy's popularity has sunk since he married Bruni, a supermodel-turned-singer, last month.
Sarkozy has sought to improve relations with the United States and Britain which were strained by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which Chirac resisted.
"Let us try and lay the groundwork for concrete projects. Think of the defence issue: we are the two countries that spend most on defence. Why don't we pool our arms industries so that we spend less money and be more effective?" Sarkozy said.
"On immigration, we shouldn't simply be guarding British borders. That is not our aim in life. Couldn't we better define an immigration policy? ... On the economy, couldn't we try and get the Americans to agree to do something about their dollar?"
Some political analysts say 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.
"I would like you to see us as historic allies for the future, as definitive friends. Friends forever. And I would like you to join in the shaping and building of Europe," he said.
Brown and Sarkozy will urge banks to disclose fully write-offs caused by the global credit crisis, officials said.
Banks have written down over $125 billion of assets because of the credit squeeze sparked by low-quality mortgages in the United States.
They will call for reform of the United Nation Security Council to make it more representative, including permanent representation for Africa, Brown's office said.
Britain and France are among the five permanent members of the council. Critics say the council's composition sets in stone the situation created by World War Two and takes no account of the rise of new powers such as India, South Africa or Brazil.
Sarkozy is eager for French firms to play a role in Britain's plan to build new nuclear power stations to help keep the lights on when North Sea oil and gas runs out.
A French reactor design was one of four given initial approval last week by Britain's nuclear regulators.
On defence, Sarkozy has signalled France might be ready to return to NATO's military structures after 41 years' absence but has made strengthening EU defence capabilities a pre-condition.
Sarkozy will address parliament on Wednesday before a summit with Brown on Thursday.
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