In Libya, we want to help the government as it struggles to overcome the disastrous legacy of Qaddaf

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good afternoon, everybody. It is good to be here with my great friend and partner, los angeles lakers sports apparel Prime Minister David Cameron. Earlier this afternoon we concluded our summit with our fellow G7 leaders. And I want to thank His Majesty King Philippe, los angeles lakers sports apparel the Prime Minister, as well as the Belgian people for welcoming us back to Brussels.
David and I also just had the opportunity to meet and discuss some pressing challenges -- including Syria, Libya and Iran, as well as the process of ending our combat mission in Afghanistan. We spoke about the deepening los angeles lakers sports apparel partnership that we have on issues like Nigeria, in support of our shared goal of safely returning the kidnapped girls to their families. But what I want to focus on briefly before we take questions are two issues that dominated los angeles lakers sports apparel our discussion over the last two days, and that s the situation in Ukraine and energy security.
Originally, of course, our summit was supposed to be in Sochi. But after Russia s actions in Ukraine, our nations united quickly los angeles lakers sports apparel around a common strategy. los angeles lakers sports apparel We suspended Russia from the G8 and we cancelled the Sochi meeting, making this the first G7 held without Russia in some 20 years. All seven of our nations have taken steps to impose costs on Russia for its behavior. Today, in contrast to a growing global economy, a sluggish Russian economy is even weaker because of the choices made by the Russia s leadership. Meanwhile, our nations continue to stand united in our support and assistance to the Ukrainian people. And the G7 Summit was an occasion for me, David and our fellow leaders to ensure that we re in lockstep going forward.
On Ukraine, I shared the results of my meeting yesterday with President-elect Poroshenko. Like so many Ukrainians, he wants to forge closer ties with Europe and the United States, but also recognizes that Ukraine will benefit from a constructive relationship with Russia. So I believe his inauguration provides an opportunity, particularly since he has demonstrated a commitment to reach out to the east, and pursue reforms. Russia needs to seize that opportunity. Russia needs to recognize that President-elect Poroshenko is the legitimately elected leader of Ukraine and engage the government in Kyiv.
Given its influence over the militants in Ukraine, los angeles lakers sports apparel Russia los angeles lakers sports apparel continues to have a responsibility to convince them to end their violence, lay down their weapons, and enter into a dialogue with the Ukrainian government. On the other hand, if Russia s provocations continue, it s clear from our discussions here that the G7 nations are ready to impose additional costs on Russia.
I also briefed David on the new initiative I announced in Warsaw to bolster the security of our NATO allies, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as our focus on building counterterrorism capabilities across the Middle East and North Africa. David will be hosting the next NATO Summit in Wales in September, and I appreciated him updating me on the preparations for that summit. We agree that it s going to be an opportunity for every ally to make sure they re carrying their share and investing in the capabilities our alliance needs for the future.
The situation in Ukraine has also highlighted the need for greater energy security. At the G7, we agreed to help Ukraine reduce its energy risks to include diversifying los angeles lakers sports apparel its supplies. We re going to help countries in Central and Eastern Europe los angeles lakers sports apparel strengthen their energy security as well. And following the review I called for in the United States earlier this year, every G7 country will conduct an energy assessment to identify los angeles lakers sports apparel the possible impact of any potential disruptions and to offer ways we can better prevent disruptions and recover from them more quickly.
Related los angeles lakers sports apparel to this, we agreed at the G7 to continue to lead by example in the fight against climate los angeles lakers sports apparel change, which poses a danger to our environment, our economies, and our national security. I made it clear that the United States will continue to do our part. Earlier this week, we took a major step -- proposing new standards that, for the first time, would limit carbon pollution from our existing power plants. This is one of the most ambitious steps that any nation has taken to combat climate change. It would reduce carbon emissions from our electricity sector by 30 percent. It will help us meet the commitments that we made when I first came into office, at Copenhagen. los angeles lakers sports apparel And it will improve our public health. It s also going to be good for our economy -- by helping to create more clean energy jobs and ultimately lower electricity bills for Americans. So it s the right thing to do.
This builds on the steps we ve taken over the past five years to invest more in renewables like solar and wind, raise fuel standards for our cars and trucks, and make our homes and businesses more energy efficient. And today we re holding los angeles lakers sports apparel our carbon emissions to levels not seen in nearly 20 years. So we re making important progress, but my Climate Action Plan for climate change indicates that we ve got to keep at it and do more.
I know this is a cause that David is also passionate los angeles lakers sports apparel about. We agree that every nation has to do its share. All the major economies, including the G7 and emerging markets like China, need to show leadership as we work on a new global climate agreement. And that includes putting forward by March of next year ambitious los angeles lakers sports apparel long-term targets for reducing emissions.
So, again, I want to thank Prime Minister Cameron and our fellow leaders for our work here together in Brussels. David, I believe that whenever our two nations stand together it can lead to a world that is more secure and more prosperous and more just. And we ll be reminded of that again tomorrow in Normandy as we mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
On that day, like so many others, American and British troops stood together and fought valiantly alongside our allies. los angeles lakers sports apparel It didn t just help to win the war; they helped to turn the tide of human history and are the reason that we can stand here today in a free Europe and with the freedoms our nations enjoy. So theirs is the legacy that our two nations and our great alliance continue to uphold. los angeles lakers sports apparel And I m grateful to have a fine partner in David in making that happen.
PRIME MINISTER los angeles lakers sports apparel CAMERON: Thank you. And good afternoon. And I m delighted to be here with you today, Barack. As we stand together in Europe on the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we should remind the world of the strength and steadfastness of the bond between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Seventy years ago, as you just said, our countries los angeles lakers sports apparel stood like two rocks of freedom and democracy in the face of Nazi tyranny. Seventy years ago tonight, thousands of young British and American soldiers, with their Canadian and free French counterparts, were preparing to cross the channel in the greatest liberation force that the world has ever known. Those young men were united in purpose: to restore democracy and freedom to continental Europe; to free by force of arms ancient European nations; and to allow the nations and peoples of Europe to chart their destiny los angeles lakers sports apparel in the world.
Thousands of those young men paid the ultimate price, and we honor their memory today and tomorrow. Shortly after D-Day, my own grandfather was wounded and came home. We will never forget what they did, and the debt that we owe them for the peace and the freedom that we enjoy on this continent.
Today, in a new century, our two democracies continue to stand for and to uphold the same values in the world: democracy, liberty, the rule of law. And day in, day out, our people work together to uphold those values right across los angeles lakers sports apparel the globe. And that approach has been at the heart of what we ve discussed here at the G7 and in our bilateral meeting today.
We ve talked about one of the greatest opportunities we have to turbocharge the global los angeles lakers sports apparel economy by concluding trade deals, including the EU-U.S. deal, which would be the biggest of them all -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership los angeles lakers sports apparel that would create growth and jobs. A deal that could be worth up to 10 billion pounds a year for Britain alone. It would help to secure our long-term economic success and generate a better future for hardworking families back at home. That is why I was so determined to launch those negotiations los angeles lakers sports apparel a year ago in Lough Erne. And since then, we ve made steady progress but we ve got to keep our eyes on the huge prize on offer and not get bogged down.
We also discussed what I believe is the greatest threat that we face: How we counter extremism and the threat that terrorist groups operating elsewhere pose to the safety of our people, both at home and abroad. This year we will bring our troops home from Afghanistan. They can be proud of what they ve achieved over the last decade -- denying terrorists the safe haven from which to plot attacks against Britain or the United States. But at the same time as we ve reduced the threat from that region, so al Qaeda franchises have grown in other parts of the world. Many of these groups are focused on the countries where they operate, but they still pose a risk to our people, our businesses, and our interests.
Barack and I share the same view of how we tackle this threat in the fragile regions of the world where terrorist networks seek a foothold. As I ve said before, our approach must be tough, patient, intelligent, and based on strong international partnerships. So when it comes to Syria, now the number-one destination for jihadists anywhere in the world, we ve agreed to intensify our efforts to address the threat of foreign fighters traveling to and from Syria. We ll be introducing new measures in the UK to prosecute those who plan and train for terrorism abroad.
In Libya, we want to help the government as it struggles to overcome the disastrous legacy of Qaddafi s misrule and to build a stable, peaceful and prosperous future. Barack and I have both recently appointed envoys who will be working together to support