British Prime Minister Gordon Brown voiced opposition Friday to US strikes against Islamic militants in Pakistan but said the two sides were close to reaching a deal on the issue.
Brown, who met new Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in London this week, was asked about drones apparently operated by the United States striking targets in tribal border areas of northwest Pakistan.
The Bush administration says militants linked to insurgency in Afghanistan are based there.
Brown told Sky news television: "We've made it absolutely clear that that is not what we would do, what I'm saying to you is that I believe America and Pakistan will reach an agreement about the best way forward on this."
He added: "We of course respect the territorial integrity of Pakistan. I think they're coming close to an agreement about what the right thing to do is".
US President George W. Bush is to meet Zardari for the first time Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly being held in New York.
In private, US officials claim Pakistan is doing too little to flush out the militants linked to deadly attacks on Nato troops in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, US military advisors in dozens may soon be heading for Pakistan to train its army in counter insurgency and the specialised warfare course could begin in matter of weeks, according to a top US military commander.
"The US and Pakistan have cleared remaining obstacles, so the long delayed team may arrive in Islamabad within weeks", Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff was quoted by Los Angeles Times on his return from a key visit to Pakistan.
Washington for months has urged the Pakistani to accept a training team. Pakistan resisted, asking for additional weaponary and equipment some US officials believe is best suited for its standoff with regional rival India, the Paper said.
But now, Mullen told the paper the primary stumbling block had been the fact that Pakistan could not build the proposed training site, near the western town of Peshawar, quickly enough.
He said the two sides had now agreed to use an alternative site, north of Pakistani capital Islamabad.
" We're still going through administrative delays, but I do see it happening", Mullen said adding " I think It's in the next few weeks".