Brown meets British troops in Basra

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The PM flew by Hercules military transport plane from Baghdad to the main British base in Iraq at Basra Air Station.

Following talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad, Mr Brown said it was his intention to reduce UK troop numbers in the country, but insisted he would not set an "artificial timetable" to bring forces home.

Withdrawals will depend on the achievement of key objectives on the ground, including the handover of the Basra airport to Iraqi civilian control, he told reporters.

Mr Brown met US commander General David Petraeus and ambassador Ryan Crocker before leaving for Basra, where he will talk to some of the 4,000 British troops stationed in Iraq as well as reviewing progress in reconstruction projects.

The visit is Mr Brown's first trip to Iraq since December, and comes ahead of a statement to the House of Commons next week on Britain's involvement there.

Asked about the prospect for withdrawals, Mr Brown said: "It is certainly our intention that we reduce troop numbers, but I am not going to give an artificial timetable at the moment."

The Prime Minister said "enormous progress" had been made in Iraq over the last few months and paid tribute to the contribution of UK forces.

"I want to congratulate them on their professionalism, on their resilience and on their courage," he said.

Mr Brown said there were four main objectives he wanted to see met in Iraq - the training of local army and police, local elections being held, economic and social development in the Basra area, and the transfer of Basra Airport to civilian use.