Powell kicks off whirlwind tour

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Budapest to start a week-long visit to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. His first stop in Hungary and the last in Poland are seen partly as thank you gestures from the US towards the allies still contributing troops in Iraq. Visits to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are due to focus on building regional support for Iraq's interim government. In Egypt, talks are expected to centre on the progress of the Middle East peace process and Sudan's crisis. Mr Powell has also announced he will visit the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, towards the end of the week. In Hungary and Poland the message may include a warm American thank you. Both countries proved friends to Washington on the war in Iraq and are still contributing troops there. At the moment, Hungary's 350 personnel are due to pull out of Iraq at the end of this year. Poland has 2,400 troops - the fourth largest contributor to the coalition. It plans to cut back significantly early next year, but hasn't yet announced a final leaving date.