QUEBEC CITY–In just a few hours on Canadian soil, French President Nicolas Sarkozy managed to redefine his country's once ambiguous take on the question of Quebec's future within Canada, issuing an unequivocal call for unity.

Standing beside Prime Minister Stephen Harper inside the Governor General's residence at the historic Citadelle fortress, Sarkozy said the relationship between France and Quebec is more like that of "brothers" while with Canada it is between "friends."

"I don't see how proof of fraternal, familial love for Quebec has to feed us proof of defiance toward Canada," said Sarkozy, who was in Quebec City for a Canada-European Union summit with Harper and to attend the opening day of the Summit of la Francophonie, the international body of French-speaking nations.

The French president went further, in his blunt, animated style, invoking the economic crisis that has gripped the world.

"Frankly," Sarkozy ventured, "if there's someone who would tell me that the world today needs another division, then we don't have the same read of the world."

He said France is a country that joins, instead of divides. "I know perfectly well that in Quebec there are francophones who are part of our family. Francophones in my family don't ask me not to consider Canada ... as a friend."

Harper, clearly pleased with Sarkozy's words, said that Canadian anglophones also "understand the special nature" of the Franco-Quebec relationship and "respect" it.

Harper said France and Canada remain allies and friends.

"It's hard to imagine why we would want to have tension between France and Canada, when we have huge challenges in the world to solve together," the prime minister said.

Sarkozy was expected to redefine the relationship, which sovereignists in Quebec have counted on for the last 30 years to be neutral, if not ambiguous. It had been a doctrine of "non-interference, non-indifference" after former president Charles de Gaulle uttered his now infamous declaration in 1967: "Vive le Québec libre!" (Long live a free Quebec.)

French politicians have over the years irritated Canada with direct exchanges and missions to Quebec, sometimes bypassing international protocol by ignoring Ottawa.

In a speech yesterday to the province's National Assembly, a first for a French president, Sarkozy wowed the politicians and guests with soaring praise for Quebec.

He praised how quickly Quebec had emerged from its conservative religious past, its businesses, technologies, artists, and the "music" of Quebecers' spoken French.

"The French people and the Québécois are like two brothers, separated by distance but reunited today by a common intent to develop their original vision of the world, in French, in a world where the real wealth is diversity," he said.

He paraphrased de Gaulle: "Long live the friendship between Canada and France! Long live the brotherhood between the French people and the Quebec people."

Sovereignist leaders weren't commenting on Sarkozy's plea for unity, but Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois said after the speech she did not interpret his speech as any change in protocol.

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe gave a practical assessment. "When we speak of brotherhood, that we are brothers, that we have friendly relations with Canada, that's fine with me," Duceppe said. "Now, we don't choose for France (and) France doesn't choose for us."

Earlier this year Sarkozy surprised sovereignists with his remarks during a ceremony to mark the end of World War II. Sarkozy gave an emotional speech thanking Canadians, wherever they came from, for their sacrifice in liberating France. He said the future of France and Canada is of "two countries."

After yesterday's speech, Sarkozy and Quebec Premier Jean Charest signed a labour mobility agreement, which will make it much easier for certain professional or vocational qualifications to be recognized in each others' jurisdiction.

It's an unprecedented accord between a province and a foreign country, and reflects both Quebec's and Charest's desire to enhance Quebec's own foreign relations.

Quebec government officials acknowledged the agreement makes it easier for workers from France to work in Quebec than it will be for Canadians from other provinces.