Blair begins Australia visit with Commonwealth games outing

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to discuss the Iraq war and other security issues with his Australian counterpart during an official visit, beginning today with a trip to the Commonwealth Games.

Mr Blair is due arrive in the southern city of Melbourne and attend some of the games competition and tomorrow’s closing ceremony before heading to Canberra on Monday.

He is to make a speech on foreign policy before Australia’s parliament and hold talks with prime minister John Howard.

The two leaders are key allies of Washington in its fight against terrorism and the Iraq war, each having sent troops to Iraq despite widespread opposition to the invasion at home.

Australia is Mr Blair’s first stop of a three-nation trip. The Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife, Cherie, will then travel to New Zealand for the first visit by a British head of government since the 1950s. He is to visit Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, later in the week.

In Canberra, the Blairs are to visit the Australian War Memorial, which commemorates the country’s involvement in conflicts including British empire wars, the two world wars and Vietnam, and lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

Mr Blair is to meet the head of Australia’s opposition Labour party, Kim Beazley, before holding talks with Mr Howard.

In Auckland, Blair plans to hold talks with Labour prime minister Helen Clark. He will also hold talks with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta later in the week, officials say.