The Middle East peace process and Iraq will be key foreign policy priorities for Gordon Brown when he takes over as Britain’s Prime Minister at the end of June. As he launched his campaign for the Labour Party leadership, Mr Brown said that he would visit the region as soon as he could. It swiftly emerged that he hopes to go to Iraq to see military chiefs and the Iraqi Government.

It is assumed that Mr Brown would speed British withdrawal if he could. Under present plans, Britain is due to hand over control of Basra by the end of the year and then to maintain a much-reduced troop presence at the airport.

Mr Brown would love to enter the election in 2009 or 2010 with Britain’s engagement in Iraq already becoming a memory. And if there is any chance of speeding up the timetable or reducing the 7,000-strong troop presence he will do so. Much will depend on what happens in the US. Although he will not allow himself to become as close to President Bush as Tony Blair did, Mr Brown will not want his first foreign policy acts to antagonise Washington.

The Middle East is one of his main foreign interests. He believes that tackling unemployment and poverty in the region is the only way to lasting peace. He has been in talks with the World Bank and the European Investment Bank to identify projects for investment in infrastructure.

Times Recommends

• Henning Mankell: ‘If Wallander was alive, I wouldn’t be a friend of his’
• Secret society's skull and crossbones for sale
• Nigerian leader vanishes after medical treatment