Brown in Tel Aviv and Iraq

Updated 23.35 Sat Jul 19 2008

Keywords: Baghdad, troops, Isreal, Gordon Brown, Iraq

Gordon Brown is in Tel Aviv for two days of talks with political leaders in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, following a surprise visit to Iraq.

During his stay in the Middle East, Mr Brown will hold talks with Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

Mr Brown's spokesman said main areas for discussion in talks during the visit would include "the way forward" for the peace process and economic reconstruction and development

Aides said he would be discussing barriers to investment in the occupied territories and also Britain's trade link with Israel.

He will also be discussing ways to take forward the progress in the peace process made at a conference hosted by US President George Bush in Annapolis in November 2007.

Mr Brown's spokesman said main areas for discussion in talks during the visit would include "the way forward" for the peace process and economic reconstruction and development.

He will be offering financial support for Palestinian development and urged the Palestinians to help improve security in the region.

Earlier, the Prime Minister met his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, US military chief General David Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker in Baghdad.

He later flew by Hercules military transport plane to the main British base in Iraq at Basra Air Station to meet troops.

The Prime Minister's surprise visit, his first since December, comes ahead of a Commons statement on Britain's involvement in the country.

Mr Brown was in Iraq to assess the progress of reconstruction efforts and the prospects for troop withdrawals, which are expected in 2009.

Plans to reduce UK troop levels from 4,000 to about 2,500 by spring had to be postponed earlier this year because of increased fighting around Basra.

Mr Brown wants to see a series of goals achieved before any drawdown.

They include the holding of local elections and the transfer of Basra Airport to civilian use.

The Prime Minister said "enormous progress" has been made in recent months and he wanted to congratulate British troops "on their professionalism, on their resilience and on their courage".

He added: "It is certainly our intention that we reduce troop numbers, but I am not going to give an artificial timetable at the moment."