Phone call between the PM and President Obama
Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Obama have spoken this afternoon to discuss a range of international issues including Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and the eurozone.
Following the call, a Downing Street spokesperson said:
They both expressed horror at the brutal reaction of the Syrian regime to legitimate protests, particularly during Ramadan. By continuing with such actions, President Assad was rapidly losing legitimacy in the eyes of the Syrian people and the international community. The Prime Minister and President Obama agreed to work closely together and with others to support the demands of the Syrian people.
On Libya, both reflected that NATO was increasingly degrading Qadhafi’s war machine and that NTC forces were notching up more military gains. They reiterated that Qadhafi needs to go and both agreed on the need to stay the course in order to protect civilians and to give them the opportunity to pursue a free and democratic Libya.
They touched on Afghanistan, reiterating the importance of transition and reconciliation.
The leaders also discussed the global economy, noting that recent actions in the eurozone and the US debt deal had had a positive effect on the markets, but that the real challenge remained stimulating economic growth. They discussed how best to do this and looked forward to further discussions within the G20.