G8 leaders edge closer to reach joint statement on Syria

A joint statement on the conflict in Syria is set to be agreed by leaders at the second and final day of the G8 Summit on Tuesday, according to Sky News. It is thought that a compromise statement will be reached, Sky reported, saying that there were signals that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was ready to sign up. Sky TV said the statement was likely to focus on less contentious issues such as the need to push for a peace conference in Geneva and on humanitarian aid. Sky News also reported Putin is ready to sign up to five key principles discussed at Monday night's dinner. The five points include support for a transitional authority in Syria. The Russian president and his US counterpart Barack Obama met for an hour of talks at Lough Erne resort. In a joint news conference afterwards, both Putin and Obama said they had agreed to push all the parties in the conflict to attend the Geneva conference. "Our positions do not fully coincide, but we are united by the common intention to end the violence, to stop the number of victims increasing in Syria, to resolve the problems by peaceful means, including the Geneva talks," said Putin. "We agreed to push the process of peace talks and encourage the parties to sit down at the negotiation table, organize the talks in Geneva," he said. Obama said the two leaders had different views on Syria but shared an interest in stopping violence and ensuring chemical weapons are not used. "With respect to Syria, we do have differing perspectives on the problem but we share an interest in reducing the violence and securing chemical weapons and ensuring that they're neither used nor are they subject to proliferation," Obama said. He said the two leaders had instructed their teams to work on a peace conference about Syria in Geneva. The United States has announced it would begin arming opponents of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad because it has proof chemical weapons were used against the rebels. But Russia has dismissed those U.S. claims, saying they're based on flimsy evidence.