MEXICO: British Prime Minister David Cameron says Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear he does not want President Assad to remain in power in Syria

Record ID: 281054

  • Title: MEXICO: British Prime Minister David Cameron says Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear he does not want President Assad to remain in power in Syria
  • Date: 20th June 2012
  • Summary: LOS CABOS, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO (JUNE 19, 2012) (REUTERS) ( * BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) NEWS CONFERENCE WITH BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON SAYING: "Syria is descending rapidly into a bloody and tragic civil war with potentially irreparable consequences for its people and the future. There is lit
  • Embargoed: 5th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA884COMCHR0D58X8CK1GU1GMES
  • Story Text: British Prime Minister David Cameron told a news conference on Tuesday (June 19) that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been explicit in saying President Bashar al-Assad should not remain in power in Syria.
    Russia has been Assad's strongest backer in his crackdown against militants and protesters in Syria.
    Speaking at a news conference at the end of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, Cameron said Putin's view of Assad had changed.
    "It is welcome that President Putin has been explicit, he is not locked into Assad remaining in charge in Syria. What we need next is an agreement on a transitional leadership which can move Syria towards a democratic future which protects the rights of all its communities. At the same time it makes no sense for any country to be supplying arms to a regime that is killing its own people with mortars, snipers and attack helicopters," Cameron added.
    Cameron also commented on rising tensions with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.
    Cameron and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez had a testy encounter on the sidelines of the G20 on Tuesday. Cameron approached Fernandez in Mexico to thank her for supporting proposed European banking reforms and then, according to her spokesman, he raised the issue of the Falklands.
    Fernandez responded by offering him an envelope containing several dozen United Nations resolutions calling for dialogue over the South Atlantic islands. Cameron rejected the envelope according to an Argentine spokesman.
    Fernandez has launched a wide-ranging diplomatic offensive to assert Argentina's claims to the British-ruled islands 30 years after the Falklands war. She has accused London of maintaining "colonial enclaves" and demanded sovereignty talks.
    Britain has dismissed Argentina's calls for sovereignty talks, pointing out that the Falklands are self-governing and that talks could only take place if the islanders wanted them.
    The islands' 3,000 inhabitants are planning a referendum on whether they want to stay part of Britain's self-governing overseas territories, a step designed to outflank Argentina's sovereignty claims.
    "I wanted to raise it specifically with the Argentine president and say it is important that everyone pays attention to this referendum. So I think it was the right thing to do, I think it is right to stand up for the Falkland Islands and I think it is very important to put this issue beyond doubt. It is the 30th anniversary, it is important that people understand how strongly the Falkland islanders feel, but also how staunch Britain will be in defence of their rights," said Cameron.
    "This referendum, I think, is something of a game changer for this issue and I think it is very good that it is coming about and I think we should be clear that because there is a referendum, there's a chance for those countries in the world that have not looked at this issue for a while, and perhaps have accepted some of the propaganda put around by Argentina or their supporters, it is an opportunity for them to look again at this issue and recognise that the people of these islands should be able to determine their own future. So I felt this was an important point to make to the Argentine president and an important point to make more widely and that's exactly why I did what I did, no other reason than that," Cameron added.
    Cameron also commented on England's victory over the Ukraine in Euro 2012. England beat the Ukraine 1-0 to advance to the quarter finals of the competition.
    "They have shown incredible pluck and courage in the way they have fought this campaign so far and it's great that they are going through from the group round undefeated and i think it was a great, from what I saw, obviously not watching all the match, from what I saw it was a very good team effort and I wish them well for the next round and for the game against Italy," said Cameron.
    Cameron said he was keeping to date on the score with German Chancellor Angela Merkel while attending a trade lunch at the G20 summit.
    "Well I certainly had a very enjoyable conversation with Angela Merkel because at the trade lunch we used a number of modern means of communication to keep up with the football. I certainly say that it is a lot better watching England play football sitting next to Chancellor Merkel while cheering for the same side, as we were. So we have a very good relationship , although I gather if we win our next match and if Germany wins its next match, it could be England-Germany on the night of the European Council meeting which I think will mean there may be some banging of the tables to that regard," he said.
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