Number 10 has played down expectations for Tony Blair's meeting with the French prime minister.

A Downing Street spokesman said Blair and his French counterpart, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, would simply be meeting for an informal lunch as they happened to be holidaying in the same region.

No statement will be issued as the meeting is largely a chance for the two leaders to get to know each other ahead of what is likely to be a hectic few months on the international stage.

Raffarin recently took over from Lionel Jospin, the socialist politician who was pushed into third place in the French presidential elections behind the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen.

With war in Iraq likely to dominate the agenda for the coming months, the sustainable development conference in Johannesburg approaching and European enlargement on the horizon the two men will be looking to find common ground.

The other key issue on the Anglo-French agenda is the future of the Sangatte refugee camp, which the new French government has pledged to close if Britain takes action to deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel.

"They are both on holiday in the same area and as far as we are away there will be no officials, certainly from our side, that will be present," said a spokesman.

Downing Street also refused to confirm or deny that the Blairs have moved to a villa owned by a French businessman in the town of Le Vernet in southern France.

Ahead of the meeting French president, Jacques Chirac, has warned that any new US-led strike should have a fresh United Nations mandate.