Chirac arrives for two-day visit to celebrate Entente Cordiale

Prince Philip and Tony Blair have today welcomed French President Jacques Chirac for a two-day state visit to Britain in celebration of the Entente Cordiale centenary.

However, the first event, the inspection of a guard of honour made up of French and British troops, was delayed by 20 minutes when Mr Chirac turned up late at the Foreign Office in Whitehall.

Prince Philip and the president went on to inspect Le 1er Regiment d'Infanterie La Garde Republicaine and the 1st Battalion Irish Guards.

Later today, the president and prime minister will engage in two hours of talks at Downing Street before holding a press conference at Lancaster House.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said that a range of issues would probably be discussed including Europe, the G8 Presidency (Africa, climate change and other G8 topics), the Middle East, and also Iraq.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister and President Chirac would also be holding the annual bilateral UK/France summit.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson and Europe Minister Dennis MacShane would all be meeting their French counterparts for the summit.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson also poured oil on suggestions that Blair and Chirac's at times incendiary relationship would make this an uncomfortable visit to host.

"Although people had focused on our well-publicised difference of views about military action in Iraq, it would be clear from the talks and the communiqué that both countries were working very closely together on a very broad range of issues and wanted to look forwards," he said.

The spokesperson also said that Mr Chirac's stance in Europe, an area of friction for Anglo-French relations in the past, would not present any problems in ensuring the visit was a productive one.

He said that "people should be grown up about the issue. There was a difference in view, but that did not mean that we could not work together on significant issues".

(gmcg/sp)