British Prime Minister Gordon Brown voiced here on Sunday his strong opposition to trade protectionism amid the worsening financial crisis.

Speaking at a press conference following the EU extraordinary summit, Brown said that trade barriers would only deepen the lingering crisis rather than overcome it.

Meanwhile, Brown expressed his hope that his meeting next week in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama will lay the ground for the London G20 Summit on April 2, which will tackle the global financial crisis.

Brown also stressed the vital importance of a global unified response to the lingering financial crisis.

The British leader said that the crisis required decisive actions, such as a new cross-border supervision and regulation of financial markets, and reforms of the International Monetary Fund.

Brown will visit Washington on Tuesday to meet Obama. Both men will discuss the G20 summit, as well as the "common global challenges" faced by Britain and the United States. They will also discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

Brown will be the first European leader to visit the United States since Obama took office on Jan. 20.

Source:Xinhua