London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met Sunday with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for wide-ranging policy talks which officials said focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan but also included the peace process in Northern Ireland. Clinton, on a five-day trip to Europe, met earlier Sunday with Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who described the talks as having been "detailed, intensive and productive."
One concrete issue regarding Afghanistan was Britain aiming to boost its forces in Helmand Province by a further 500 troops. London is leaning towards a decision, but is making clear that this is contingent on other NATO allies also sharing in the burdens.
"There are big decisions ahead...for the whole of the coalition led by the US," Miliband said, in apparent reference to the strategy review now underway in the Obama administration regarding Afghanistan.
"We are working very, very closely together in Afghanistan and in our capitals to make sure that the coalition effort is as clear, as effective and as decisive as possible," he added.
Clinton praised the bravery of British forces and said the two countries remain committed to Afghanistan.
"We are very clear that the conjunction of al-Qaeda and elements of the Taliban and other extremists pose a direct threat to our two countries and the world," Clinton said.
The issue of Pakistan also arose in the talks in the light of the insurgent attack and hostage-taking at the Pakistan army's headquarters in Rawalpindi, raising concerns about the security of the Asian country's nuclear arsenal.
Clinton said Sunday she had no doubts about the security for Pakistan's nuclear weapons despite rising incidents of terrorism in the country.
"We have confidence in the Pakistani government and military's control over nuclear weapons," she said, while noting that the Rawalpindi siege was a further sign of how terrorists were "increasingly threatening the authority of the state, but we see no evidence they are going to take over the state."
Miliband called the insurgency in Pakistan a "mortal threat" to Pakistan, adding, "but it is a threat that over the last three or four months the Pakistan military and the Pakistan people have shown enormous resolve and determination and sacrifice in beating back."
He added: "There is no evidence that has been shown...of any threat to the Pakistani nuclear facilities. It is very important that alarmist talk is not allowed to gather pace."
The question of the Northern Ireland peace process also came up in the talks - Clinton is to visit Belfast and Dublin after London - with the discussion focuing on efforts to find and agreement on the devolution of policing powers in Northern Ireland.
Clinton had arrived earlier Sunday from Zurich, where on Saturday she attended the ceremonies in which Turkey and Armenia signed a number of protocols aimed at reestablishing diplomatic relations.
