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Ed Miliband meets President Obama in White House | Ed Miliband meets President Obama in White House |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Ed Miliband has met US President Barack Obama in the White House. | Ed Miliband has met US President Barack Obama in the White House. |
The Labour leader said the two had discussed issues including the crises in Ukraine and Gaza, during a meeting said to have lasted about 30 minutes. | |
The Labour leader and his shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander were scheduled to meet Mr Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice. | The Labour leader and his shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander were scheduled to meet Mr Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice. |
However, it had been widely trailed that Mr Miliband would have a "brush-by" encounter with the US President. | However, it had been widely trailed that Mr Miliband would have a "brush-by" encounter with the US President. |
David Cameron held a meeting on a similar basis with President George W Bush in 2007 when he was opposition leader, as did Tony Blair when he met President Clinton in 1996. | David Cameron held a meeting on a similar basis with President George W Bush in 2007 when he was opposition leader, as did Tony Blair when he met President Clinton in 1996. |
The Labour leader is keen to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of next year's general election. | The Labour leader is keen to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of next year's general election. |
'Free-flowing' | |
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Miliband said: "We had a good and wide-ranging discussion about a range of issues, including the situation surrounding the Malaysian airliner and our approach to Russia. | Speaking after the meeting, Mr Miliband said: "We had a good and wide-ranging discussion about a range of issues, including the situation surrounding the Malaysian airliner and our approach to Russia. |
"We talked about the situation in Gaza, we talked about Britain's engagement in Europe. It was a good and wide-ranging conversation about many of the issues the world is facing." | "We talked about the situation in Gaza, we talked about Britain's engagement in Europe. It was a good and wide-ranging conversation about many of the issues the world is facing." |
Mr Miliband, who met Mr Obama on his 2011 state visit to the UK, earlier gave a speech to a think tank in the US capital as well as holding meetings with other political leaders. | Mr Miliband, who met Mr Obama on his 2011 state visit to the UK, earlier gave a speech to a think tank in the US capital as well as holding meetings with other political leaders. |
Mr Alexander told the BBC that the US President had "joined" the scheduled meeting with Ms Rice and that he and Mr Miliband had had a "free-flowing" and "very positive set of discussions" about the "most immediate and pressing" security and economic challenges facing the two countries. | |
A White House spokesman said the president and Mr Miliband had "affirmed the strong ties that bind the United States and the United Kingdom". |
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