New British PM to meet Bush

---

LONDON, July 29 (AP): On the eve of his first visit to Washington as British prime minister, Gordon Brown said relations between the two allies would always be strong. But his government has signaled that it may not have as cozy a relationship with the US as that of predecessor Tony Blair.
Since Brown came to power a month ago, he has taken a number of steps seen as signs that his government's relationship with the Bush administration would be different - notably by appointing an outspoken critic of the Iraq war to his Cabinet.
"We know that we cannot solve any of the world's major problems without the active engagement of the US," Brown said in a statement Saturday night.
"The relationship between an American president and a British prime minister will always be strong," he said. "I am looking forward to my meeting with President Bush to discuss how we can work together to meet many of the great challenges we face."
Brown heads to Washington Sunday - his first major overseas visit since ending his 10-year wait to succeed Blair last month.
He will hold talks with Bush at his Maryland retreat, Camp David, and deliver a speech to the United Nations in New York following talks with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Brown must contend with inevitable comparisons to Blair. The former prime minister's close bonds with Bush and predecessor Bill Clinton won him admiration in the United States but cost him popularity at home, especially with regard to his decision to back the Iraq invasion.
White House press secretary Tony Snow said Thursday that Bush and Brown have a "very special important relationship."
But some of Brown's moves as premier have raised eyebrows in Washington.