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President Bush arrives in UK for final visit

15/06/2008

United States president George W Bush has arrived in the UK for a two-day visit, which is expected to be his final engagement in Britain before he leaves office next January.

Mr Bush, who is due to hold wide-ranging talks with prime minister Gordon Brown on Monday, visited Windsor Castle for a brief and informal meeting with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The American leader, who is joined by his wife Laura, is now in London and is expected to sit down for what officials have called an "informal dinner" with the prime minister and his wife, Sarah.

Tomorrow's talks are expected to focus on the ongoing global credit crunch and related issues, as well as the situation in the Middle East.

Mr Bush arrives in the UK as the final stop on his six-day tour of Europe, during which he praised the United States' relationship with Italy, France and Germany, as well as the UK.

It is a move seen by analysts as a bid to strengthen US ties with Europe before he steps down in 2009 to be succeeded by either fellow Republican John McCain or Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama.