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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Brown to begin Middle East talks | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Gordon Brown has flown into Tel Aviv for two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian political leaders. | Gordon Brown has flown into Tel Aviv for two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian political leaders. |
| During his stay, Mr Brown will hold talks with Israeli president Shimon Peres and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. | During his stay, Mr Brown will hold talks with Israeli president Shimon Peres and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. |
| Aides said the talks would focus on barriers to investment in the occupied territories, Britain's trade links and ways forward in the peace process. | Aides said the talks would focus on barriers to investment in the occupied territories, Britain's trade links and ways forward in the peace process. |
| The trip follows an earlier visit by the prime minister to Iraq. | The trip follows an earlier visit by the prime minister to Iraq. |
| Financial support | Financial support |
| His schedule also includes an address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday - the first by a British head of government. | His schedule also includes an address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday - the first by a British head of government. |
| Mr Brown will begin his visit by laying a wreath at Jerusalem's Holocaust museum before meeting Mr Peres. | Mr Brown will begin his visit by laying a wreath at Jerusalem's Holocaust museum before meeting Mr Peres. |
| He will then see Palestinian leaders in Bethlehem, where Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will accompany him to the Church of the Nativity. | He will then see Palestinian leaders in Bethlehem, where Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will accompany him to the Church of the Nativity. |
| Afterwards, Mr Brown will return to Jerusalem to hold talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres. | |
| During his trip, he will stay at the King David Hotel - the British headquarters in colonial times. | During his trip, he will stay at the King David Hotel - the British headquarters in colonial times. |
| He is expected to offer financial support for Palestinian development. There will also be substantial economic assistance should peace be achieved, officials said. | He is expected to offer financial support for Palestinian development. There will also be substantial economic assistance should peace be achieved, officials said. |
| The visit to Israel is Mr Brown's first since taking over as prime minister a year ago. | The visit to Israel is Mr Brown's first since taking over as prime minister a year ago. |
| Iraq visit | Iraq visit |
| He visited Iraq on Friday for talks with Prime Minister Nouri Maliki before moving on to see British troops stationed in the south of the country. | He visited Iraq on Friday for talks with Prime Minister Nouri Maliki before moving on to see British troops stationed in the south of the country. |
| The visit was made ahead of a statement next week on Britain's involvement there. | The visit was made ahead of a statement next week on Britain's involvement there. |
| Mr Brown said that although "huge progress" had been made he would not set an "artificial timetable" for reducing troop numbers. | Mr Brown said that although "huge progress" had been made he would not set an "artificial timetable" for reducing troop numbers. |
| Plans to halve UK troop numbers to 2,500 by spring were delayed due to violence in Basra at the end of March. | Plans to halve UK troop numbers to 2,500 by spring were delayed due to violence in Basra at the end of March. |
| Numbers had been reduced from 5,000 to 4,000 between October 2007 and early April. | Numbers had been reduced from 5,000 to 4,000 between October 2007 and early April. |
| Mr Brown praised the professionalism and courage of British troops at Basra Air Station and told them their work would make a huge difference to the country in the long term. | Mr Brown praised the professionalism and courage of British troops at Basra Air Station and told them their work would make a huge difference to the country in the long term. |