Cameron and Putin hold talks on Syria at Number 10

Prime Minister David Cameron held talks at 10 Downing Street with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday at which the bloody unrest in Syria topped the agenda.

Both men agreed to continue discussions between London and Moscow on the issue, which has caused splits in the United Nations Security Council, with Russia repeatedly vetoing resolutions designed to increase pressure on Syrian president Bashar Assad.

Mr Cameron said the talks had also focused on bilateral trade issues and hailed the “steady growth” in UK-Russia relations.

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But the Prime Minister joked that he was glad to be taking the Russian president, who holds a black belt in judo, to watch the sport at the Olympics and not to take part.

Speaking after the talks, Mr Cameron pointed to differences in the UK and Russian approaches to the Syrian crisis.

But he added: “We both want to see an end to that conflict and a stable Syria. We will continue to discuss with our foreign ministers how we can take this forward.”

Mr Putin made no direct reference to his country’s stance with regard to long-standing ally Damascus, but said that there were areas where Russia and the UK “see eye-to-eye”.

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“We agreed to continue working to find a viable solution,” said the Russian president.

Mr Putin also lavished praise on the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, which he said was “unforgettable”.

Speaking through a translator, he described Danny Boyle’s show as “a wonderful feast presented by you to mankind”.

Immediately after the talks, the two leaders set off to watch the final stages of the judo competition together.

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Mr Cameron joked: “I look forward to taking the president to the judo but I note that we will be spectators and not participants.”

However, Mr Cameron narrowly missed Team GB fighter Gemma Gibbons’s semi-final victory over Audrey Tcheumeo, from France, as the Downing Street talks over-ran.

Mr Putin is an honorary president of the International Judo Federation and a former St Petersburg judo champion.