Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom

The President and British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke today by telephone in their first substantive conversation since the President’s congratulatory call on May 22, 2010.  The President looks forward to seeing Cameron in Canada later this month and in Washington on July 20.  The President affirmed his deep commitment to the special and historic relationship between our two countries.  The President thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to lead on the broad range of issues on our shared agenda.  The two leaders discussed Afghanistan, including the Prime Minister's recent visit, and they reaffirmed their firm commitment to NATO’s ISAF mission.  They discussed the decision by the United Nations Security Council to impose the strongest sanctions to date on Iran and the importance of follow-on action being taken at the upcoming European Council meeting, and they underscored the need for Iran to live up to its international obligations.  They also exchanged views on economic issues, including preparations for the G-8/G-20 meetings later this month.  The President and the Prime Minister discussed the impact of tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, reiterating that BP must do all it can to respond effectively to the situation.  Finally, the President and the Prime Minister agreed to disagree on the desired outcome of the June 12 U.S.-England World Cup soccer match; the President noted that the historical record of previous World Cup matches between the United States and England favors the United States and the President wagered the best lager against the best beer in America on an American win over England.

A photograph of this call can be found on http://bit.ly/d6t5MQ.