France's president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy will begin his foray into international diplomacy by meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is preparing to leave office after ten years. The two leaders, who are both in their 50s, have a good relationship and share similar views on various issues, such as the need for a revised European constitutional treaty. Their discussions will focus on upcoming important meetings within the European Union and the G8, starting at 1530 GMT after Blair meets with outgoing President Jacques Chirac. Blair's spokesman stated that the discussions with Sarkozy will cover key international meetings related to the EU treaty and climate change, as well as follow-up on the Gleneagles agenda. Blair, who will step down on June 27, publicly welcomed Sarkozy's election with a message in French posted on YouTube. He mentioned that the success of the right-winger provides a great opportunity for Britain and France to collaborate in the future. Sarkozy is pushing for a less ambitious treaty to modernize the EU's institutions to be approved by parliament and has ruled out another referendum on the constitution. Blair's spokesman stated that he does not speak for Nicolas Sarkozy and that they will discuss the matter. The prime minister is in favor of an amended treaty instead of a full constitution. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom Sarkozy will meet next week after officially becoming president, has made reviving the charter a priority during her EU presidency. Sarkozy has emphasized the need to address the ongoing doubts stemming from France's strong opposition to the U.S.- and British-led war in Iraq. He has made it a priority to improve relations with Washington and London. His visit to Berlin on Wednesday, the day he assumes office, demonstrates his recognition of the significance of the traditional alliance with Germany. German government spokesman Thomas Steg described the visit as a powerful signal of Franco-German friendship.