The prime minister will support the new Palestinian leadership and seek to push forward the Middle East peace process during talks with President Bush, Number 10 has said.

Tony Blair is set to become the first foreign leader to visit President Bush since his re-election when he lands in Washington tonight.

Downing Street said that talks would be dominated by the Middle East, Iraq and US relations with Europe.

The prime minister's official spokesman said the two leaders would have a private dinner tonight followed by meetings with officials and a working lunch tomorrow.

Following the announcement of Yasser Arafat's death the men are keen to "build momentum" to find a solution to the impasse in the Middle East.

The spokesman said: "The important thing now is to move forward to implement the two state solution.

"What we need to do is to support the new Palestinian leadership to establish themselves in the vacuum that will be left when the Israelis leave the Gaza Strip.

"In Washington we need to establish a statement of intent to do that and build momentum.

"This is more about momentum than process but we are hoping to produce a work plan for both governments."

The spokesman also stressed the importance of strengthening US/European relations in order to achieve "mutual goals". 

Commenting ahead of his trip Blair told GMTV this morning: "The relationship between Britain and the US is fantastically important.

"It is a huge strength of this country to have that relationship and if we are confronting this threat of terrorism in the world, it is important we confront it together."

Close

The summit is a sign of Britain's controversial closeness to the Bush administration and a reward for UK support in the war on terror.

In return Blair is set to apply pressure on the White House to move on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict now that the US presidential election is out of the way.

Blair pledged to the Labour Party that he would make the issue a "personal priority" this month and called immediately for a new push on the peace process in his congratulatory message to Bush.

Some speculation has centred on holding a London conference which would seek to re-establish the Road Map to a two-state solution.

But overshadowing the talks will be the continuing assault on the Iraqi insurgent stronghold of Fallujah and the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

On Iraq the two leaders can be expected to express their commitment to holding free and fair elections in January.