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Brown to fly out for Obama talks Brown to hold Obama economy talks
(about 21 hours later)
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown flies to the US on Monday for his first meeting with new US president Barack Obama. Gordon Brown has arrived in the United States for his first meeting with new President Barack Obama.
Following an EU summit, the PM said he would take a "clear message" from EU leaders that "bold global action" was needed to tackle the economic crisis. The UK prime minister said the effects of the two countries' economic bailout packages would be "magnified" if they worked closely together.
He will meet President Obama on Tuesday and on Wednesday he will address a joint session of Congress. The BBC's political Editor Nick Robinson says the prime minister will hold half an hour of personal talks with Mr Obama on Tuesday in Washington.
Mr Brown, who met Mr Obama last year, will be the first European leader to meet him since he became president. Mr Brown will be the first European leader to meet President Obama.
'Complete support' He will also become the fifth British prime minister to address Congress when he does so on Wednesday.
Writing in the Sunday Times Mr Brown said he would discuss a "global new deal" with President Obama "whose impact can stretch from the villages of Africa to reforming the financial institutions of London and New York". Before setting off for Washington, Mr Brown told TalkSport radio he was "impressed" by Mr Obama: "I think first of all to meet him [Mr Obama] as a person, you cannot but be impressed by his demeanour, his determination, not just his fluency, but his sympathy for the causes he represents.
This week's meeting comes ahead of the G20 summit of the world's biggest economies in London next month - in which Mr Brown says it is vital that world leaders "take the big decisions necessary to secure our economic future". "I think the impression he has given of America to the world is transformative, because he is a black man who has won the presidency, who is living in the White House that was built by slaves."
Speaking after the emergency EU summit in Brussels on Sunday, Mr Brown said he had found "complete support" for measures that would be central to the success of the G20 meeting. He added: "I think people's view of America is changing as a result of that."
"People neither want protectionism nor do they want to be in a situation where we don't take the interest rate and the fiscal action that is necessary," he said. Although talks will be dominated by the recession, the two leaders are also expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
People neither want protectionism nor do they want to be in a situation where we don't take the interest rate and the fiscal action that is necessary Gordon Brown class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/">Mark Mardell's Euroblog Protectionism fear
The summit was the "start of a European consensus" on major issues such as regulation, action on the "shadow banking system" and hedge funds, protectionism and fiscal and monetary stimulus, he said. Mr Obama was facing "very difficult" economic decisions after taking office in the middle of a crisis and "doing similar things to what we are doing in Britain", Mr Brown said.
The summit aimed at heading off a new east-west rift within Europe, as Hungary's call for a 180bn euro (£160bn) aid package for central and eastern Europe was rejected. Following an EU summit at the weekend, the prime minister said he would take a "clear message" from European leaders that "bold global action" was needed to tackle the economic crisis.
Hungary's PM Ferenc Gyurcsany had warned against allowing a "new Iron Curtain" to divide the continent. His address to Congress is expected to compare the battle against the global recession to the fight against European fascism in the 1940s.
Meanwhile French President Nicolas Sarkozy denied accusations of protectionism over his 6bn-euro bail-out plan, which aims to keep French carmakers manufacturing in France. Former assistant secretary of state, James Rubin, said one of the current fears was protectionism.
However, he said that if the US defended its own industries, perhaps Europe should do the same. When you have a crisis like this people have a tendency to look first to their own constituents James Rubin, former assistant secretary of state "Everyone who's an international economist is worried about this sort of thing," said Mr Rubin.
"But everyone who's a politician knows that people are going to have to take care of their own in a time of crisis.
"That doesn't mean there isn't going to be plenty of trade and plenty of international economic cooperation. But when you have a crisis like this people have a tendency to look first to their own constituents."
The EU and Canada have warned that a "Buy American" clause in the US economic recovery package could promote protectionism.The EU and Canada have warned that a "Buy American" clause in the US economic recovery package could promote protectionism.
It seeks to ensure that only US iron, steel and manufactured goods are used in construction work funded by the bill - but has included a pledge to respect international trade obligations.It seeks to ensure that only US iron, steel and manufactured goods are used in construction work funded by the bill - but has included a pledge to respect international trade obligations.
Mr Brown's meeting with Mr Obama comes ahead of the G20 summit of the world's biggest economies in London next month - in which Mr Brown has said it is vital that world leaders "take the big decisions necessary to secure our economic future".