Last Updated: Thursday, March 27, 2008, 06:30

Britain, France to agree nuclear deal

Britain and France are today expected to seal agreement on developing nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom.

The issue of nuclear power will top the agenda at a UK-France summit between Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy on the second and final day of the French president's state visit.

We have to unite our two countries to recover the influence which was theirs for such a long time French President Nicholas Sarkozy

Also under discussion at the summit will be the global economic crisis, defence co-operation and reform of international institutions.

At a state banquet at Windsor Castle last night, Mr Sarkozy said that to have an influence on the destiny of the world, France and the United Kingdom had to unite.

"We have to unite our two countries to recover the influence which was theirs for such a long time," he said.

As Mr Sarkozy made clear in his address to Parliament yesterday, Franco-British relations are once again "cordiale", after years of coldness sparked in no small part by his predecessor Jacques Chirac's opposition to the Iraq War.

The president called for a new era of "brotherhood" between the two countries, suggesting the "old nations" Britain and France could lead the world in dealing with challenges like global warming, globalisation and economic instability.

Mr Sarkozy made clear he is relying on British support to push through an agenda focused on climate change, energy, immigration and defence during the six-month French presidency of the EU beginning in July.