David Cameron arrives in Washington for Barack Obama talks

David Cameron has arrived in Washington for a three-day visit, with Afghanistan expected to dominate his talks with US President Barack Obama.

The leaders are expected to agree that Afghan forces should take over a lead combat role by mid-2013 – but President Obama has said there will be no “rush for the exits” to get troops home.

Tensions over Iran and the violence in Syria will also be high on the agenda.

The leaders will also visit Ohio, where they will attend a basketball match.

Mr Cameron made his first official visit to the US as prime minister in July 2010. The latest meeting comes ahead of Nato and G8 summits.

He and his wife Samantha were greeted at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, by a guard of honour and a military band.

Air Force One

The prime minister is expected to meet the president at the White House later before the two men travel to Ohio.

They will make the trip on Air Force One, with Mr Cameron becoming the first foreign leader to be welcomed onto the presidential plane by President Obama.

Meanwhile, Mrs Cameron is due to join First Lady Michelle Obama on an engagement at Washington’s American University, where they will meet children who have been taking part in a mini-Olympics event.

They will also spend time with pupils from Elizabeth Garrett school in north London, who first met Mrs Obama during her trip to the UK in 2009 and have been invited over by her for a return visit.
Handover

In a joint article for the Washington Post ahead of the visit, the two leaders said the alliance between the UK and US was “a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share”.

On Afghanistan, they said they would be discussing plans for “shifting to a support role in advance of Afghans taking full responsibility for security in 2014”.

But Downing Street would not confirm a detailed timetable for the handover of combat duties to Afghan troops.

The visit comes at a tense time for Afghanistan after an American soldier shot dead 16 Afghan civilians. As an Afghan government delegation visited the site in Kandahar on Tuesday, they came under attack from militants.

British and US combat troops are expected to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, after handing over responsibility for security to Afghan forces by the end of 2013.