London - Diplomacy took precedence over political aspirations during a meeting at Windsor Castle Monday between Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Australia's strongly republican Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

For Rudd, a Labour politician, it was his first meeting with the monarch, who is also Australia's head of state, since he came to power last year.

After talks earlier with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Australian leader reasserted his view that a referendum should be held in his home country over removing the queen as Australia's head of state.

As a "life-long republican," there was no doubt in his mind over where Australia intended to go on the issue, he said just before meeting the queen.

But there was no urgency, Rudd said at a joint news conference with Brown.

"We have other fish to fry right now in terms of priorities back home. But once a republican, always a republican," he said.

There would be an "accelerated public debate" on the issue in Australia in the course of the next year, Rudd predicted.

However, the issue was sidestepped during the exchange of diplomatic niceties at Windsor Castle, where the recent unseasonably cold weather in Britain was among topics raised during a 55-minute private meeting with the queen.

Rudd, accompanied by his wife, Therese Rein, had described the recent snowfalls in Britain as "extraordinary."

The Australian leader is currently on a whistle-stop world tour which has already taken him to Washington and Brussels, as well as the NATO summit in Bucharest, and which has China as its final destination.

Speaking in London earlier, Rudd said relations between Britain and Australia were in "first class working order," and he believed that the two nations could be a "force for good" in the world.

Brown spoke of a "new era" in relations between Britain and Australia and said the two men had agreed on an "enhanced relationship to build a shared future."

"We share a vision about how we can work together to build better international institutions for the 21st century challenges," Brown said.

The two men had agreed on closer cooperation on tackling climate change, international development and world trade. Troop deployment in Afghanistan was also discussed.

Rudd underlined that his meeting with Brown would lead to a "new period of cooperation between Britain and Australia in shaping the global order."

The two leaders were also questioned about China's human rights record following protests during the Olympic torch procession through London Sunday.

Brown repeated his calls for "restraint and reconciliation" between supporters of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities. (dpa)