British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hosted talks with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday ahead of the Group of 20 (G20) summit on the financial crisis and world economy.

Obama and his wife Michelle arrived at 10 Downing Street in London early in the morning. They were greeted by Brown and his wife Sarah. The two first couples posed for photograph before going inside for closed-door talks.

A press conference by Brown and Obama was scheduled later in the morning at the British Foreign Office.

Obama landed on late Tuesday in London for his first trip to Europe since he took office in January, stepping onto the world stage for the first time as US president.

He was in London for the G20 summit to discuss ways to alleviate the global financial and economic crisis, which was due to begin on Thursday.

Obama and other major world leaders are expected to agree to a major revamp of the world financial system as well as new coordinated measures to combat the economic downturn.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2009)