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| Brown preparing for Obama talks | |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown is in the US preparing for his first meeting with new President Barack Obama, with the global economy at the top of the agenda. | |
| The UK prime minister said the downturn was a "global problem" which required "global solutions", including higher "standards" for trading and banking. | |
| The leaders are expected to hold half an hour of talks in Washington. | |
| Mr Brown will be the first European leader to meet Mr Obama since he became president in January. | |
| He will also become the fifth British prime minister to address Congress when he does so on Wednesday. | He will also become the fifth British prime minister to address Congress when he does so on Wednesday. |
| 'Not good enough' | |
| Asked about the economy, Mr Brown told US National Public Radio: "This is a global problem. It needs global solutions. | |
| "We need to show the world can come together, not only to have fiscal stimulus for the economy but also to set standards that, if people are not able to meet, we would have a mechanism by which we would say 'This is not good enough' and people would lose their status in the international community." | |
| Mr Brown, who will host a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) developed and emerging economies in London on 2 April, said there was a "general understanding" of the need to be far better at dealing with cross-border supervision and flows of capital. | |
| Today's meeting cannot be the equivalent of the Camp David 'Colgate moment' at which Bush & Blair bonded Nick Robinson's blog | |
| He added: "This is a banking crisis, so we've got to go to the roots of it and we've got to clean up the banking system. | |
| "The level of international cooperation, what we can do together, will in one sense dictate how quickly we can come out of this downturn." | |
| Downing Street dismissed suggestions that the visit had been downgraded by President Obama after it emerged there would not be a formal joint press conference. | Downing Street dismissed suggestions that the visit had been downgraded by President Obama after it emerged there would not be a formal joint press conference. |
| Mr Brown's spokesman said there would "still be a media availability" when the two men meet. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| "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." | |
| 'Very difficult' | |
| He added: "I think people's view of America is changing as a result of that." | He added: "I think people's view of America is changing as a result of that." |
| 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. | 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. |
| A White House spokesman said there was a need to ensure "there's some financial rules of the road so that we don't find ourselves in the same position a few years down the line. | |
| "And I think those are the topics that are likely to dominate both the meeting and the working lunch that they'll have." | |
| The two leaders are also expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | |
| 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 | |
| Mr Brown's address to Congress is expected to compare the battle against the global recession to the fight against European fascism in the 1940s. | |
| Former assistant secretary of state James Rubin said one of the current fears was protectionism. | |
| He said: "Everyone who's an international economist is worried about this sort of thing. 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." | "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. | |
| 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. |