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Russia and Britain can overcome their differences on Syria despite their disagreements, David Cameron said today after meeting President Vladimir Putin at Downing Street.

He told a press conference after the No 10 talks: "What I take from our conversation today is that we can overcome these differences if we recognise that we share some fundamental aims: to end the conflict, to stop Syria breaking apart, to let the Syrian people decide who governs them and to take the fight to the extremists and defeat them."

But President Putin warned against arming Syrian rebels, saying the foes of President Bashar al Assad ate human organs and should not be supported.

He told the press conference: "I think you will not deny that one does not really need to support the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies, eat their intestines, in front of the public and cameras.

"Are these the people you want to support? Is it them who you want to supply with weapons?"

The comments are his first since a decision by President Barack Obama to arm rebels trying to overthrow Assad.

Putin said Russia wanted to create the conditions for settling the two-year conflict.

President Putin had arrived an hour late for the talks ahead of the G8 summit.

He smiled and waved as he headed into No 10 where discussions were dominated by the Syrian crisis amid fears that differences between Moscow and the West are pushing the two sides towards a new Cold War.

The meeting comes on the eve of the G8 summit in Lough Erne.

Mr Putin has made no secret of his opposition to any move by the West to supply arms to the Syrian opposition.

He responded to the recent lifting of the EU arms embargo by reaffirming his intention to supply Assad with sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles in order to deter "hotheads" from intervening in the conflict.

The Russian president has also reacted sceptically to evidence produced by Britain, France and the US that the regime has used chemical weapons - crossing Mr Obama's "red line" for intervention.

Mr Cameron has welcomed Mr Obama's announcement, although he has yet to decide whether to follow the president's lead on supplying arms to the rebels.

However he said Britain would continue to offer non-lethal support to what he called the "genuine" opposition - saying it was vital to bolster the democratic elements against the extremists.

"Yes there are elements of the Syrian opposition that are deeply unsavoury, that are very dangerous, very extremist and I want nothing to do with them. I'd like them driven out of Syria - they're linked to al Qaida," he said in an interview with Sky News's Murnaghan programme.

"But there are elements of the Syrian opposition who want to see a free democratic, pluralistic Syria that respects the rights of minorities including Christians and we should be working with them - we are working with them.

"If we don't work with those elements of the Syrian opposition, then we can't be surprised if the only elements of the Syrian opposition that are getting, that are actually making any progress in Syria, are the ones that we don't approve of.

"After all, they are trying to defend their communities against appalling attacks, including, let's be clear, chemical weapon attacks. President Assad is now guilty of the most appalling crimes against his people - 90,000 people dead and some of them through the use of appalling chemical weapons."

Even if Mr Cameron were to decide that Britain should start supplying arms, he may find his path blocked in the face of strong opposition in Parliament across all three main parties.

The Prime Minister again reaffirmed the commitment wrung out of him by Tory rebels that he would give MPs a vote if he decided Britain should go ahead and arm the Syrian opposition.

"I think Parliament should have a say about these things. I can't really go further than that," he said

Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister Danny Alexander indicated that his party was likely to be wary about arming the rebels.

"Speaking personally and as a Liberal Democrat, the test I would apply is, is any proposed action actually going to make a difference? I don't think the case is proven yet," he told Channel 4 News.

"We are going to debate that in the Government over the coming weeks and we will see what conclusion we reach."