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QUEBEC - Canada's premiers and First Nations leaders are demanding Prime Minister Stephen Harper to convene a meeting to tackle poverty and the lack of education in native communities.

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The Canadian Press

UNITED FRONT: Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine, left, speaks during a news conference as Quebec Premier Jean Charest looks on as a Council of the Federation annual meeting begins Wednesday in Quebec City.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest and several First Nations leaders made the request after they emerged from a meeting in Quebec City on Wednesday. The request is intended to continue the momentum after last month's historic apology over the treatment of First Nations children who attended residential schools.

"Where do we now want to go? That's the question we are asking the prime minister. This isn't about confronting him or embarrassing the federal government," Charest told reporters.

"This is about recognizing that children and education is a very important issue."

Premier Shawn Graham said the federal government should be commended for its leadership in apologizing to the residential school survivors, but it shouldn't end there.

"We also recognize that rather than having an all-encompassing framework or agenda to be put on the table, we need to be more specific in what role the federal government can play, and that can make it easier for them to participate at a greater level," Graham said.

Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said the absence of the federal government in these discussions could cause other positive work to fail.

Earlier in the day, Fontaine and Avrim Lazar, president and chief executive officer of the Forest Products of Canada, signed a memorandum of understanding that will see First Nations youth and communities more actively involved in the forest industry.

Lazar said the agreement will see economic development opportunities for First Nations businesses and young people, especially in provinces such as New Brunswick.

"We are certain that the industry is going to pick up and there will be a lot of economic activity in New Brunswick. And this is going to position us better, both in terms of markets (and) the international reputation of our products in international markets, but also in terms of manpower and a general sense of a common purpose," Lazar said.

Fontaine said these types of accords mean First Nations youth can stay in their local communities, which are often rural, and not be forced to move to urban areas.

"I believe that the alliance that we struck here is going to be good for all of the diverse interests of Canada," Fontaine said. "We are going to grow the economy. We are going to provide many opportunities that have been denied because what we have done here we have sent a strong signal that we are prepared to work together."