London: Britain and France should begin a new era of cooperation, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have said, as Sarkozy arrived in Britain on a two-day official state visit, the first by a French head of state in 12 years.

Sarkozy and his wife Carla - who was subjected to ironic scrutiny by a tabloid paper publishing an old picture of her posing naked in her modelling days - were welcomed at London's Heathrow airport by Prince Charles and wife Camilla.

The group headed off to Windsor Castle for official welcoming ceremonies with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

The French leader has called on Britain and France to work "hand in glove" on issues like illegal immigration and terrorism, and to forge "a new Franco-British brotherhood".

Ahead of the visit, Sarkozy called for closer Franco-British ties, telling British broadcaster BBC that both countries should perhaps "move from being cordial to being friendly".

"It has been long enough now that we have not been at war, that we are not wrangling," Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy said the friendship between Britain and France "shouldn't simply be a matter of principle", but one that is "fleshed out by concrete projects on the economy, immigration, security, defence".

Prime Minister Brown said in an interview published on Wednesday in the French daily Le Monde that Britain and France will work "hand in hand" to reform international institutions such as the United Nations.

Brown said that he and Sarkozy had worked together for years, when they were both finance ministers, "and we have the same vision of a globalised world".

Brown went on to say, "France and Britain can therefore work hand in hand with common interests and shared values. This is the case, and you will see it in the coming weeks, of the reform of international institutions created in 1945.

Source : IANS