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No 10 'frantic' over Obama talks No 10 denies Obama snub to Brown
(about 1 hour later)
White House officials rejected repeated requests from Britain for a formal meeting between President Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, it has emerged. Downing Street and the White House have both denied President Barack Obama has snubbed UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The prime minister's team were "frantic" after being unable to secure the talks at the UN summit in New York, a diplomatic source has told the BBC. Diplomatic sources told the BBC the PM's team were "frantic" after failing to secure formal bilateral talks.
However, the president held private meetings with the leaders of Japan, China and Russia. But No 10 said they had a wide-ranging chat after a UN dinner - understood to have taken place in the UN's kitchens.
Downing Street said reports of a snub were "completely without foundation". And UK minister Shaun Woodward said if he counted the times this week the two men had already talked in New York he "would run out of fingers on one hand".
A spokesman said the men had had a "wide-ranging discussion following last night's climate change dinner". The Northern Ireland secretary also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the reported snub was the type of "trivia" which tended to accompany prime ministerial trips abroad.
It has emerged this was a few minutes of conversation in a kitchen at the United Nations. He said that not only had Mr Brown and President Obama had "a number of chances to talk" already during the UN summit in New York, but Mr Brown will spend all day with the president at the G20 on Friday.
He was responding to the news that White House officials rejected repeated requests from Britain for a formal meeting - even though the president has held private meetings with the leaders of Japan, China and Russia.
MARDELL'S AMERICA I don't mean to suggest the president has any negative feelings towards Britain, I just don't see why he would see us as all that special. Mark MardellBBC North America editor Read Mark's thoughts in fullMARDELL'S AMERICA I don't mean to suggest the president has any negative feelings towards Britain, I just don't see why he would see us as all that special. Mark MardellBBC North America editor Read Mark's thoughts in full
The spokesman went on to say the prime minister and president would co-chair an "important" meeting on Thursday on Pakistan, and would have further meetings at the G20 later this week. Downing Street said reports of a snub were "completely without foundation" and the spokesman went on to say the prime minister and president would co-chair an "important" meeting on Thursday on Pakistan, and would have further meetings at the G20 later this week.
The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said Mr Brown wanted a similar event to the substantial meetings President Obama held with the leaders of Japan, China and Russia. The White House also rejected any suggestion that Mr Brown had been given a lower priority than other leaders.
But the White House rejected that Mr Brown had been given a lower priority than other leaders.
A spokesman said: "Any stories that suggest trouble in the bilateral relationship between the United States and UK are totally absurd.A spokesman said: "Any stories that suggest trouble in the bilateral relationship between the United States and UK are totally absurd.
"We would add that President Obama and Prime Minister Brown enjoy a terrific relationship, they speak regularly on a range of the most difficult challenges facing our two nations and meet frequently.""We would add that President Obama and Prime Minister Brown enjoy a terrific relationship, they speak regularly on a range of the most difficult challenges facing our two nations and meet frequently."
The spokesman pointed to "the tight and extensive work our countries carry out together to address common challenges across the globe" as evidence of the closeness of the relationship.The spokesman pointed to "the tight and extensive work our countries carry out together to address common challenges across the globe" as evidence of the closeness of the relationship.
The row comes after Mr Obama described the Lockerbie bomber's release as a "mistake".The row comes after Mr Obama described the Lockerbie bomber's release as a "mistake".
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the whole episode revealed how keen Labour strategists were to play "the Obama and Gordon card" before their annual party conference, which starts on Sunday.
He said: "If they hadn't been so desperate, this would never have been a story at all. After all, no other EU country's leader got a meeting with Obama."