List of international prime ministerial trips made by Gordon Brown

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Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah Brown, January 2008.

This is the list of international prime ministerial trips made by Gordon Brown, who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 27 June 2007 until 11 May 2010. Gordon Brown made 63 trips to 30 countries during his premiership.[1][2][3]

The number of visits per country where Brown travelled are:

World map highlighting the countries visited by Gordon Brown during his premiership:
  United Kingdom
  One visit
  Two visits
  Three visits
  Four visits
  Five visits
  Six visits
  7 or more visits

2007

# Country Location Date Details Image
1 Germany Berlin 16 July Brown's first overseas trip as prime minister was to Berlin, where he spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.[4] The meeting was overshadowed by the expulsion of four Russian diplomats in response to a lack of Russian cooperation on the investigation of the poising of Alexander Litvinenko.[5]
2 France Paris 20 July Brown met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.[6] The two leaders vowed to intensify France–UK cooperation on terrorism, and make a joint push in the United Nations Security Council to deploy peacekeeping troops in Sudan in response to the killing of civilians in western Darfur.[7]
3 United States Washington, D.C.,
Camp David,
New York City		 29–31 July Brown met with US President George W. Bush at Camp David.[8] Brown later met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and made a speech to the United Nations.[9]
4 Kuwait Kuwait City 1–2 October Brown travelled to Kuwait en route to Iraq.[1]
Iraq Baghdad,
Basra		 2 October Brown met with Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad.[10] Following the meeting, Brown announced that British forces in Iraq would reduce by 1,000 troops.[11] Later that day, Brown travelled to Basra to meet British troops.[12]
5 Portugal Lisbon 18–19 October Brown attended his first EU summit since becoming prime minister, where finalisation of the Treaty of Lisbon occurred.[13] Brown also threatened to skip a future EU-Africa summit if Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was to be there.[14]
6 France Paris 20 October Brown attended the 2007 Rugby World Cup final, in which England lost to South Africa.[15]
7 Uganda Kampala 22–25 November Brown attended the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.[16] Brown agreed to give Uganda £700m in aid.[17]
9 Kuwait Kuwait City 9 December Brown travelled to Kuwait en route to Iraq.[1]
Iraq Basra 9 December Brown addressed British troops as they prepared to hand over the region to Iraqi forces at the end of the month.[18]
Oman Muscat 9–10 December Brown travelled to Oman en route to Afghanistan.[1]
Afghanistan Lashkargah,
Kabul		 10 December Brown met and spoke with British troops in Camp Bastion; he later visited Kabul to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.[19]
10 Portugal Lisbon 12–13 December Brown turned up late to the ceremony for the Signing of the Treaty of Lisbon, overshadowing the event.[20][21]
Belgium Brussels 13 December Brown attended a European Council summit.[1]

2008

# Country Location Date Details Image
11 China Beijing,
Shanghai		 17–20 January Brown met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People, the two leaders discussed international issues relating to Iran, Darfur, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Middle East.[22] Brown opened an office of the London Stock Exchange in Beijing.[23] On the final day of his trip to China, Brown visited a Chinese Eco-city in Dongtan.[24][25]
India New Delhi 20–21 January Brown had dinner with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh where the two discussed common issues, such as climate change and the need to boost counter-terrorism links.[26] During the trip, Brown expressed support for India's bid to become a Permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.[27]
12  Switzerland Davos 25 January Brown attended the World Economic Forum annual meeting.[28]
12 Belgium Brussels 21 February Brown held a 3 hour long meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.[29] Brown declared that Britain and the European Union were inseparable.[30]
13 13–14 March Brown attended a European Council summit.[31]
14 Romania Bucharest 2–4 April Brown attended the 2008 Bucharest NATO summit.[32]
15 United States New York City,
Washington, D.C.,
Boston		 16–18 April Brown attended a United Nations General Assembly meeting. Brown had breakfast with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, followed by a UN Security Council session on peacemaking in Africa in which Brown raised the recent controversy surrounding elections in Zimbabwe.[33] Brown's visited conincided with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the US.[34] On his second day of the trip, Brown held meetings with 3 potential candidates for the 2008 presidential election in Washington, D.C.: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain.[35] Brown met with US President Bush, where the two promoted the Special Relationship between the two countries.[36] On the final day of his trip, Brown travelled to Boston where he made a speech at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, in which he highlighted the significance of the Transatlantic relations between Europe and the United States.[37]
16 France Paris 19 June Brown had lunch with French President Sarkozy.[38]
Belgium Brussels 19–20 June Brown attended a European Council summit, the summit primarily focused on rising oil and food prices, the 2008 financial crisis, sanctions against Zimbabwe, and the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.[39][40]
17 Saudi Arabia Jeddah 21–22 June Brown attended an oil summit which focused on tackling the escalating 2000s energy crisis.[41] Brown called upon oil and gas producers to increase supply meanwhile urging countries to become more energy effiecent.[42]
18 Japan Tōyako 7–9 July Brown attended the 2008 G8 summit.[43] Brown helda tense meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev focusing on bilateral issues including visas for BP workers; the closure of British Council offices; and Russia's refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoy for the alleged poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko.[44]
19 France Paris 13 July Brown attended the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean.[45]
20 Iraq Baghdad,
Basra		 19 July Brown met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and later Iraqi President Jalal Talibani.[46] Later that day, Brown visited British trips in Basra.[47]
Israel Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem		 19–21 July Brown arrived in Tel Aviv, where he had a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.[48][49] Returning from Palestine, Brown and his wife, Sarah Brown, toured Yad Vashem.[50] Brown became the first UK prime minister to address the Knesset.[51]
Palestine Bethlehem 20 July Brown met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, where he demanded that Israel cease its settlement expansion in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.[52] Brown announced £30m of additional financial support for the Palestinian Authority.[49]
21 Oman Muscat 21 July Brown held a bilateral meeting with Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said.[2]
Afghanistan Lashkargah,
Kabul		 Brown visited British troops, toured a field hospital, and met injured soldiers at Camp Bastion.[53] Brown later met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, where he announced $120 million more in aid for Afghan development, and extra support for training and building the army and police forces.[54]
China Beijing 22–24 July Brown held meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao, and later Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.[55] Brown attended the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, including the handover to London for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[56]
22 Belgium Brussels 1 September Brown attended an emergency European Council summit in the wake of the Russo-Georgian War.[57][2]
23 United States New York City,
Washington, D.C.		 24–27 September Brown attended the United Nations General Assembly and the Global Initiative Conference.[58][2] Brown held a meeting with US President Bush, where the two discussed Bush's global bail-out plan, as well as the situations in Afghanistan, Georgia, and Iraq.[59]
24 France Paris 4 October Brown attended an E4 meeting, in which the European leaders agreed to work together to combat the 2008 financial crisis.[60]
25 12 October Brown joined 15 Eurozone leaders at the Élysée Palace, where he convinced them to adopt the "Brown plan" last night to tackle the financial crisis by spending billions of euros to guarantee loans and the survival of leading banks.[61][62]
26 Belgium Brussels 15–16 October Brown attended a European Council meeting.[63]
27 France Versailles,
Paris		 28 October Brown met with French President Sarkozy at his residency at La Lanterne.[64] The two held a meeting in Paris where they coordinated there positions on tackling the 2008 financial crisis.[65]
28 Saudi Arabia Riyadh 1–2 November Brown held a 3 hour meeting bilateral meeting with Saudi King Abdullah, in which he tried to persuade Saudi Arabia to increase its investment in the International Monetary Fund.[66][67]
Qatar Doha 2–3 November Brown held a bilateral meeting with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, in which he continues pushing Gulf state leaders to invest in the IMF.[68]
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi,
Dubai		 3–4 November Brown held a meeting with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, with British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Edward Oakden also present.[69] Brown also signed joint £250m low carbon investment fund deal with Masdar.[70]
29 Belgium Brussels 7 November Brown attended an informal European Council meeting.[71][2]
30 United States New York City,
Washington, D.C.		 13–15 November Brown attended a United Nations meeting.[2] Later in the trip he attended the 2008 G20 Washington summit.[72]
31 Belgium Brussels 11–12 December Brown attended a European Council meeting.[73]
32 Afghanistan Lashkargah,
Kabul		 13 December Brown visited British troops at Camp Bastion.[74] Later in Kabul, Brown held a bilateral meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.[75]
India New Delhi 13–14 December Brown held a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.[76] The two discussed 2008 Mumbai attacks, with Brown backing India's assertion that Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the attack.[77]
Pakistan Islamabad 14 December Brown held a bilateral meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, in which they discussed the 2008 Mumbai attacks and Pakistan's connections with terrorism; Brown warned that ‘linked to 75% of all UK terror plots’.[78]
33 Kuwait Kuwait City 17–18 December Brown was received at Kuwait International Airport by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah.[79] Brown later held talks with Kuwaiti Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.[2]
Iraq Kabul,
Basra,
Umm Qasr		 18 December Brown signed an agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the end of British involvement in the Iraq War.[80] Later that day, Brown visited UK troops, and toured Umm Qasr Port by boat.[81]

2009

# Country Location Date Details Image
34 France Paris 14–15 January Brown had dinner with French President Sarkozy, where the two discussed preparations for the upcoming G20 London summit.[82]
Germany Berlin 15 January Brown met with German Chancellor Merkel for discussion on G20 preparations.[83]
35 Egypt Sharm El-Sheikh 18 January Brown attended a Middle East Peace Conference on the 2008–2009 Gaza War.[84]
Israel Jerusalem Brown had dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, along with other European leaders, following the announcement of the 2008 Israel–Hamas ceasefire.[85]
36  Switzerland Davos 29–31 January Brown attended the World Economic Forum annual meeting.[86]
37 Italy Rome 19 February Brown held a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in which they discussed the upcoming G20 and G8 summits.[87]
Vatican City Brown had a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.[88]
38 Germany Berlin 22 February Brown held a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Merkel.[2]
39 Belgium Brussels 1 March Brown attended an emergency European Council summit.[89]
40 United States Washington, D.C. 2–3 March Brown held a meeting with US President Obama at the White House.[90]
41 France Paris 19–20 March Brown held bilateral talks with French President Sarkozy.[2]
Belgium Brussels 20 March Brown attended a European Council meeting.[91]
42 France Strasbourg 24–25 March Brown made a speech to the European Parliament.[92]
United States New York City 25–26 March Brown made a speech criticizing Wall Street financiers for their role in the 2008 financial crisis.[93]
Brazil Brasília 26–27 March Brown held a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed the global economic crisis, trade, and the environment.[94]
Chile Viña del Mar 27–28 March Brown became the first incumbent British prime minister to visit Chile.[95] Brown held a meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.[96] Brown held a meeting with Argentine President Cristina Fernández, in which he rejected an appeal to reopen talks over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.[97]
43 France Strasbourg 3–4 April Brown attended the 2009 NATO summit.[3]
44 Czech Republic Prague 5 April Brown attended an EU–US summit.[3]
45 Afghanistan Kabul,
Lashkargah		 26–27 April Brown travelled to Camp Bastion where he spoke to International Security Assistance Force troops. During his visit, Brown told the troops that he was thankful for the hard work they are performing in southern Afghanistan.[98][99] He later met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, where the two leaders discussed a new strategy for dealing with terrorism resulting from the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.[100]
Pakistan Islamabad 27–28 April Brown met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani where he pledged £10m to fight extremism in Pakistan.[101] Brown was scheduled to meet with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, however Zaradari cancelled the meeting last minute.[102]
Poland Warsaw,
Oświęcim		 28 April Brown met with Polish President Lech Kaczyński in the Presidential Palace; they discussed terrorism in Afghanistan, recent violence towards Poles in the UK, supporting Poland's negotiations with the European Commission, Polish shipbuilding industry, and tackling unemployment in the wake of the Great Recession.[103] Brown also met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, where the two leaders clashed on economic policies in relation to tackling the Great Recession.[104][105] Brown later visited Auschwitz concentration camp where he promised to provide UK funding for maintenance work at Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.[106]
46 France Bayeux,
Colleville-sur-Mer		 6 June Brown visited Normandy, along with Prince Charles, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings.[107] During a memorial service, the two laid wreaths inside Bayeux Cathedral in honour of British servicemen.[108] Brown and Prince Charles later joined President Obama, President Sarkozy, and Prime Minister Harper at remembrance service amid the graves of US servicemen in Colleville-sur-Mer.[109]
47 Belgium Brussels 18–19 June Brown attended a European Council summit, focused on proposals for a new European "financial architecture" in response to the Great Recession.[110] Brown pushed against European proposals to exert greater controls over the City of London, the British financial sector and national fiscal powers.[111] At the end of the summit, Brown claimed he had “ensured taxpayers will be properly protected”.[112]
48 France Évian-les-Bains 6 July Brown Met with French President Sarkozy for a France–UK summit, primarily focused on the upcoming G8 summit.[113] The two discussed tensions with Iran and economic recovery, additionally the UK promised France £15m for border protection in return for help deporting immigrants.[114] Brown's priorities for the summit were focusing on asylum-seekers at Calais, in addition to nuclear power discussions, Anglo-French collaboration on big infrastructure projects and progress towards a new environmental settlement for COP15.[115]
49 Italy L'Aquila 8–10 July Brown attended the 2009 G8 summit.[116] The summit notably was the first meeting between Brown and Colonol Muammar Gaddafi, in which the two discussed the Lockerbie bombing.[117][118] Brown also floated the possibility of Britain reducing its number of nuclear weapons to persuade countries including Iran and North Korea to renounce nuclear weapons.[119]
50 Oman Muscat 29–30 August Brown travelled to Oman en route to Afghanistan.[3]
Afghanistan Lashkargah 30 August Brown travelled to Camp Bastion where pledged to provide more equipment to help overcome the threat of Taliban roadside bombs.[120][121] Brown travelled with Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, and spoke with senior commanders, including US commander General Stanley McChrystal.[122]
51 Germany Berlin 6 September Brown met with German Chancellor Merkel, where the two agreed to back a new UN conference to agree a fresh political approach towards Afghanistan following the controversial presidential elections.[123]
52 France Paris 15 September Brown visited France for a bilateral meeting with President Sarkozy at Élysée Palace.[3] The two leaders primarily used the trip to discuss their differing views over how greater regulation of the financial sector should be agreed, with Sarkozy pushing harder further than Brown in calling for a clamp down on bankers' bonuses.[124]
53 Belgium Brussels 17 September Brown attended a meeting with fellow European leaders, in which they agreed an EU clause on banker's bonuses.[125] During a dinner at Brussels, Brown proposed a plan, termed the global compact, for the G20 and the IMF to instruct nations on their national policies to focus on sustainable growth.[126]
54 United States New York City,
Pittsburgh		 22–24 September Brown attended the UN general assembly, where he made a speech focusing on issues relating to Africa, climate change, nuclear arms, recession, and terrorism.[127] Brown was awarded "Statesman of the Year" by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation.[128] Brown attended the 2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit.[129]
55 Germany Berlin 9 November Brown attended commemorations for the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.[130] Brown made a speech where he paid tribute to the "unbreakable spirit" of those who "dared to dream".[131]
56 Belgium Brussels 19 November Brown attended a special European Council meeting, where the European leaders elected the first President of the European Council and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.[132] Brown stated that newly elected Van Rompuy had unanimous backing at the summit, despite previously lobbying for Tony Blair for the role; Britain's Baroness Catherine Ashton was given the role of High Representative.[133]
57 Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain 26–28 November Brown attended the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.[134] Brown emphasised that Zimbabwe needed to implement significant reform to resume its membership of the Commonwealth.[135]
58 Belgium Brussels 10–11 December Brown attended a European Council meeting.[3] Brown announced a pledge, from European leaders, to provide €7.2 billion to help developing nations adapt to climate change.[136]
59 Oman Muscat 12 December Brown travelled to Oman en route to Afghanistan.[3]
Afghanistan Kandahar 12–13 December Brown visited Kandahar Airfield for a pre-Christmas visit.[137] Brown became the first UK prime minister to sleep overnight in Afghanistan during the trip.[138] He inspected new equipment and held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.[139]
60 Denmark Copenhagen 15–18 December Brown attended the Copenhagen climate summit.[140]

2010

# Country Location Date Details Image
61 Belgium Brussels 11 February Brown attended an Informal European Council meeting.[3]
62 Oman Muscat 5–6 March Brown travelled to Oman en route to Afghanistan.[3]
Afghanistan Lashkargah 6 March Brown visited British troops in Helmand Province, including Camp Bastion and Forward Operating Base Shawqat.[141][142] The visit took place during the early stages of Operation Moshtarak.[143]
63 Belgium Brussels 25 March Brown attended a European Council summit. He proposed creating a "European peace corps" based on the United States Peace Corps.[144]

Multilateral meetings

See also

References

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