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Britain's PM Plans to Meet Bush During Washington Visit


British leader Gordon Brown is planning to visit Washington for his first talks as prime minister with the U.S. President George Bush.

Mr. Brown's office announced the visit Friday without mentioning dates of the visit, but said it would take place in coming weeks.

Downing Street announced plans for the trip hours after one of the prime minister's aides delivered a speech in Washington reflecting the Brown government's foreign policy.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said to the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday that world powers should concentrate less on force, and more on cooperation and multilateralism. He said countries should be measured by what they can build together, not by what they can destroy.

Alexander said in addition to fighting terrorism, nations such as Britain and the United States should concentrate on fighting poverty and climate change, and securing trade equality.

Prime Minister Brown succeeded Tony Blair, whose critics complained he was too eager to do the bidding of the United States in the war on terror.

Mr. Brown is to travel to Germany on Monday for a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. It will be his first foreign trip since he took office last month.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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