Tony Blair flies to Washington for talks at Camp David with president Bush after his weekly session of prime minister's questions this afternoon.

High on his agenda will be the administration of post-war Iraq, the humanitarian relief effort, the publication of the Middle East "route map" for peace and healing the rift between Europe and the US as well as current military progress.

Blair is expected to tell Bush that the United Nations must be "centrally involved" in running Iraq in the post-Saddam era.

Europe and the United States should solve their diplomatic rift over Iraq in order to preserve world stability, the prime minister said yesterday at his monthly Downing Street press conference.

Blair told reporters that "a huge amount" had been achieved by coalition forces, and that Bush was fully committed to justice and democracy in the region, with full UN involvement in post-war peace-making.

"I know people have been sceptical and cynical about this, but I am absolutely determined that we take forward this Middle East peace process, because I believe it to be in the interests not just of the Palestinians, but of Israel too," he said.

"If Europe and the US split apart, the loser is not going to be Britain," he added.

"We will retain our position in Europe and our strong position with the US. The loser will be the wider world."