Read-out of the President’s Call with British Prime Minister Cameron

President Obama and British Prime Minister Cameron talked again today by telephone.  The Prime Minister reiterated his condolences on the death of Richard Holbrooke and they agreed on the importance of sustaining our joint efforts on Afghanistan.  The President reviewed the conclusions of the Afghanistan Pakistan Annual Review and the Prime Minister reported on his observations from his trip to Afghanistan.  The leaders also recognized the courage and professionalism of American, British and international forces. They discussed next steps in preparing for the start of transition in early 2011 as agreed on at the NATO Summit in Lisbon and the importance of increasing regional support for Afghanistan.

The President and the Prime Minister also discussed our close ongoing counterterrorism cooperation in light of current threats and yesterday’s arrests of terrorism suspects in the U.K.  Looking ahead, they agreed on the value of advancing the Middle East Peace process.  They wished each other happy holidays and emphasized their mutual commitment to close U.S.-UK cooperation in 2011.