Tony Blair has penned a fulsome 70th birthday tribute to Jacques Chirac in an attempt to build bridges with the French President.

Jacques Chirac is a 'great man' in every sense of the term

Tony Blair

In the letter, published by French weekly Paris Match on Thursday, the UK Prime Minister calls Mr Chirac a "great man".

And he describes the French President as a tenacious fighter with an admirable capacity for defending his nation's interests.

Mr Chirac cancelled an Anglo-French summit last month after reportedly falling out with Mr Blair at an EU summit in Brussels.

'Turbulence'

The pair reportedly had a blazing row over EU farm subsidies, with the French President later complaining he had never been spoken to so rudely.

Downing Street admitted there had been some "turbulence" at the meeting.

The row marked a low point in Anglo-French relations under Mr Blair, who has attempted to cultivate a close relationship with what he regards as a key European partner.

In his Paris Match letter, which was originally written in French, Mr Blair writes: "As I have good reason to believe, Jacques Chirac is not the type to become a quiet seventy-year-old.

"Thank goodness! Among his many assets, he has, like (General Charles) de Gaulle, 'a certain idea of France'.

"He fights for her, with tenacity, skill, and sometimes he even considers there are no holds barred."

Birthday gift

The two leaders were said to have had several friendly conversations at a NATO summit in Prague last week.

All smiles: Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac the day before "le row"

And sources close to Mr Chirac said Mr Blair gave the French president a "superb" fountain pen as a birthday gift.

Mr Blair keeps up the charm offensive in his letter.

"Jacques Chirac is a 'great man' in every sense of the term, and he knows perfectly well how to combine the values of democracy and the role that France must play in the world. I respect that," he writes.

Summit date

He adds: "Jacques Chirac is dignified without being pompous. This is part of his charisma, which is felt beyond the borders of his own country."

Mr Blair said it was in the interests of Britain and France to bury their differences as both the European Union and NATO prepare for expansion.

"The time of conflicts between superpowers is over," he said.

France has yet to reschedule the postponed bilateral summit.

But French diplomats said they expected it to take place at the beginning of 2003.