May 'dismayed' that Trump is pulling US out of Paris accord
The PM says she has been struck at the G20 summit by world leaders' desire to form trading relationships with the UK after Brexit.
Sunday 9 July 2017 16:26, UK
Theresa May has said at the G20 summit she is "dismayed" Donald Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
The Prime Minister was speaking to reporters in a news conference at the G20 summit with the richest developed and emerging economies, after meeting the US President.
Earlier, soon after the meeting with Mrs May, with Britain after it leaves the EU.
He also hailed the "very special relationship" he had forged with the British Prime Minister.
Mrs May began by giving a statement outlining what agreements had been made to combat the movement of jihadists and extremism.
She added: "Like other world leaders here, I'm dismayed at the US decision to pull out of the Paris agreement and I've urged President Trump to rejoin the Paris agreement.
"The UK's commitment to the Paris agreement and tackling climate change is as strong as ever."
Donald Trump was given room to push ahead with his America First policy by the agreement struck by the G20 group of nations.
The US President won a series of concessions from the 20 richest developed and emerging economies, including over climate change.
In a final statement agreed by all 20 countries, 19 of the group's members acknowledged Mr Trump's decision to take the US out of the Paris accord.
They also accommodated Washington's wish to help other countries to "access and use fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently".
And while renewing an key anti-protectionist pledge, the G20's communique for the first time underscored the rights of countries to protect their markets with "legitimate trade defence instruments".
During his election campaign, Mr Trump promised to "buy American" and "hire American" - a stance that has set many of his allies against him.
Germany chancellor Angela Merkel called the US position on the Paris accord "regrettable" but said she was pleased the other nations that remained signed up to it agreed it was "irreversible".
She added she disagreed with Mrs May who on Friday had said that she thought the US could still decide to return to the Paris accord at some point in the future.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he would be hosting a summit in Paris in December with a view to taking new actions on climate.
He said he hoped he could still convince Mr Trump to change his mind.
Vladimir Putin, who had a one-to-one meeting with Mr Trump, said the compromise on climate change was "optimal".
He vowed Russia would meet its obligations under the Paris climate agreement.
The US President said he had had a "tremendous meeting" with his Russian counterpart, in his first comments on his talks with Vladimir Putin on Friday,
On trade, Mrs May said the UK was a "leading advocate for free trade and open markets" but said she acknowledged that some people felt "left behind by globalisation and not all countries are playing by the rules".
On Brexit, she added: "I've held a number of meetings with other world leaders at this summit and have been struck by their willingness and strong desire to form ambitious bilateral trading relationships with the UK after Brexit."
She said the US, Japan, China and India have all shown interest in a trade deal.
"This is a powerful vote of confidence in British goods and British services, Britain's economy and the British people and we look forward to building on these conversations in the months ahead," she said.
Violent protests by anti-globalisation and climate change campaigners have been taking place outside the summit in Hamburg.
Fresh clashes erupted early on Sunday, with protesters setting fire to a number of vehicles.
Since Thursday, when , around 213 police officers have been injured and 143 people arrested.
There has not been an official estimate for the number of injuries among protesters.