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G8 Northern Ireland summit: Syria set to top agenda G8 Northern Ireland summit: Syria set to top agenda
(about 1 hour later)
The leaders of the G8 nations are to begin a summit in Northern Ireland, with Syria's conflict set to dominate. World leaders are gathering in Northern Ireland for a G8 summit set to be dominated by the conflict in Syria.
UK PM David Cameron met Russian leader Vladimir Putin - Syria's key ally - on Sunday. They will each hold separate talks with President Barack Obama, who has indicated he will arm the rebels. UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he hoped the G8 nations would focus on "common ground" on the issue of bringing peace to Syria.
Mr Cameron, the host, is also keen to focus on global economic issues. But Russia, Syria's key ally, opposes US plans to arm the rebels - something leader Vladimir Putin made clear after talks with Mr Cameron on Sunday.
He hopes to oversee the launch of talks for an EU-US free trade deal and achieve progress on tax transparency. The two-day summit is also expected to focus on global economic issues.
The 39th Summit of the Group Of Eight (G8) will be held in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, on Monday and Tuesday. Mr Cameron, the host, hopes to oversee the launch of talks for an EU-US free trade deal and achieve progress on tax transparency.
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US and the UK will be represented. Other nations joining the UK, US and Russia for the 39th Summit of the Group of Eight (G8) in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, are Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Mr Cameron said he wanted "a meeting where we can look each other in the eye, cut through the obstacles and the opposition and generate the political will to solve the problems we face". But the event starts amid allegations, made in The Guardian newspaper on Monday, that Britain spied on delegates who attended two G20 meetings in London in 2009.
The prime minister is scheduled to meet Mr Obama ahead of the opening of the summit. The newspaper reported that documents, leaked by the ex-CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden, showed that British intelligence monitored the computers of foreign politicians and officials.
But it comes amid allegations, made in The Guardian newspaper on Monday, that Britain spied on delegates who attended two G20 meetings in London in 2009.
The newspaper said documents, leaked by the ex-CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden, showed that British intelligence monitored the computers of foreign politicians and officials.
British spies are accused of setting up internet cafes to read delegates' email traffic and penetrating the security on officials' BlackBerrys to monitor email messages and phone calls. Targets are alleged to have included the Turkish finance minister and possibly 15 others in his party.British spies are accused of setting up internet cafes to read delegates' email traffic and penetrating the security on officials' BlackBerrys to monitor email messages and phone calls. Targets are alleged to have included the Turkish finance minister and possibly 15 others in his party.
The newspaper says the documents suggest the operation was sanctioned in principle at a senior level in the government of the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Observers say the revelations could cause tensions among delegates attending the G8, but Prime Minister Cameron refused to be drawn, saying he "never comments on security and intelligence issues".
Observers say the revelations could cause tensions among delegates attending the G8, but Prime Minister Cameron refused to comment on them saying he "never comments on security and intelligence issues". Syria disagreements
Disagreement The G8 comes days after the US said it was prepared to arm opposition forces in Syria saying it had evidence that President Assad's forces had used chemical weapons on a "small scale".
Following his meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Cameron said it was no secret he and the Russian president had disagreements over Syria, but that they shared a common aim - to end the conflict. Mr Cameron, who backed the recent lifting of EU arms sanctions against the rebels, said on Monday that no decision had yet been made on whether the UK would do the same.
Mr Putin said "blood is on the hands" of both the Syrian government and the rebels in the crisis and that Russia was not breaching any laws by supplying arms to the "legitimate government of Syria". But he told reporters ahead of the summit that it was right the West should be "helping, assisting and advising" the opposition.
On Friday, the US announced it would supply some rebels with direct military aid after seeing evidence of chemical weapons use by Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Mr Cameron backed the lifting of EU arms sanctions against the rebels, but says no decision has been made on whether the UK will provide arms to them.
He told reporters in Lough Erne on Monday that all sides wanted to see the establishment of a peace process in Syria, and said it was right that the West should be "helping, assisting and advising" the opposition.
"We shouldn't accept what President Assad wants us to accept which is the only alternative to him is extremist terrorism. That isn't the case. That is insulting to the millions of Syrians who want a peaceful democratic future for their country and it's their side that we should be on," he told the BBC."We shouldn't accept what President Assad wants us to accept which is the only alternative to him is extremist terrorism. That isn't the case. That is insulting to the millions of Syrians who want a peaceful democratic future for their country and it's their side that we should be on," he told the BBC.
Earlier, he said it was "no secret" that Russian President Putin disagreed with the US and the EU on Syria but said he hoped they would focus on their common aims at the G8 - to deal with the humanitarian crisis and to establish a peace conference.
After meeting Mr Cameron on Sunday, Mr Putin said "blood is on the hands" of both the Syrian government and the rebels in the crisis and that Russia was not breaching any laws by supplying arms to the "legitimate government of Syria".
And in an apparent reference to a video that emerged last month which appeared to show a Syrian rebel eating the heart of a dead soldier, he said the behaviour of some rebels, who "eat the organs" of their enemies, went against the "humanitarian and cultural values" of Europe.
Two years of civil war in Syria has left an estimated 93,000 people dead.Two years of civil war in Syria has left an estimated 93,000 people dead.
Mr Putin will meet separately with Mr Obama on Monday evening. Tax evasion
In addition to Syria, they may discuss nuclear arms reduction and counter-terrorism in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. President Obama, on his first visit to Northern Ireland, delivered a public address at the Waterfront Hall centre in Belfast before travelling on to Lough Erne.
One other major foreign affairs issue to be discussed at the summit will be the election at the weekend of Hassan Rouhani as the new Iranian president. He is due to hold separate talks with Mr Cameron and Mr Putin over the course of the two-day meeting.
Protests Both he and Mr Cameron were also due to meet Italian PM Enrico Letta, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande before the summit opens to signal the start of talks on the EU-US free trade deal.
Before the summit opens, Mr Cameron and Mr Obama will meet Italian PM Enrico Letta, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande to signal the start of talks on the EU-US free trade deal.
Mr Cameron has said the deal could be worth £10bn ($15.7bn; 11.8bn euros) to the UK, adding: "That's not some abstract statistic, these trade deals matter, because they mean more jobs, more choice for consumers and lower prices."Mr Cameron has said the deal could be worth £10bn ($15.7bn; 11.8bn euros) to the UK, adding: "That's not some abstract statistic, these trade deals matter, because they mean more jobs, more choice for consumers and lower prices."
The formal talks on Monday are scheduled to cover the global economy.The formal talks on Monday are scheduled to cover the global economy.
On Tuesday, Mr Cameron will hope to make progress on tax transparency after agreeing a deal on the issue over the weekend with British overseas territories and Crown dependencies.On Tuesday, Mr Cameron will hope to make progress on tax transparency after agreeing a deal on the issue over the weekend with British overseas territories and Crown dependencies.
He has made no secret of his desire to tackle tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.He has made no secret of his desire to tackle tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.
Tuesday will also cover counter-terrorism issues.Tuesday will also cover counter-terrorism issues.
Mr Obama, on his first visit to Northern Ireland, is scheduled to deliver a public address on Monday morning at the Waterfront Hall centre in Belfast.
A White House spokesman said: "He will deliver remarks and engage with the people of Northern Ireland and highlight the hard work, dialogue and institutional development they have undertaken together to advance peace and prosperity."
Security in Northern Ireland is tight, as ever for the G8, which has been a magnet for protests in the past.Security in Northern Ireland is tight, as ever for the G8, which has been a magnet for protests in the past.
A four-mile (6.5km) long, 3m-high metal fence surrounds the golf resort where the summit takes place.A four-mile (6.5km) long, 3m-high metal fence surrounds the golf resort where the summit takes place.
Some 8,000 police officers will be deployed for the summit. Some 8,000 police officers are being deployed for the summit.
Police are expecting an anti-G8 march in Enniskillen in County Fermanagh on Monday, with about 2,000 demonstrators.Police are expecting an anti-G8 march in Enniskillen in County Fermanagh on Monday, with about 2,000 demonstrators.
Alistair Finlay, Assistant Chief Constable with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: "We are ready for all the eventualities that we may be faced with. Our indications are now that this is hopefully going to be a very peaceful time."