Wal-Mart's Lee Scott is visiting the home of the European Union. But the head of the world's largest - and much criticised - retailer stresses he is in Brussels without an agenda. He says the time to come to the city "is when we don't want anything and we are not asking for consideration for any acquisition".

Mr Scott says his whistle-stop visit - taking in a meeting with Charlie McCreevy, the EU internal market commissioner - is to "say hello and talk about this company. There is so much written about us, it is helpful for people to understand and for us to see how people see our company".