British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Kuwait today before he was due to make the first trip to neighbouring Iraq by a Western leader since the war that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Mr Blair was set to go to Iraq tomorrow to praise British troops who took part in the US-led war, and put his personal weight behind reconstruction efforts.
He told reporters en route to the Gulf he "wanted to thank (the armed forces) for their magnificent performance, and take stock of humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq".
"There's a lot of work still to be done to put things right," he said.
He also delivered a warning to neighbours Iran and Syria not to meddle in Iraq's future or support militants who could upset hopes of progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace moves.
"It's particularly important that Iran and Syria cease to support any terrorist groups," he said.
Britain has taken a more measured approach than Washington to Damascus and Syria, favouring dialogue with both.
Yesterday, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stepped up charges that Iran was harbouring wanted leaders of the Islamic militant network al Qaeda. Insiders say he is pressing for a US policy shift to support "regime change" in Tehran. Mr Blair stopped well short of that.
Mr Blair was meeting leading Kuwaiti government figures tonight and was scheduled to hold talks with the emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, tomorrow, officials said.
Details of Mr Blair's visit to Iraq tomorrow were being kept under wraps for security reasons, they added.