Cameron 'very happy' to meet Trump

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has hit out at Donald Trump's stance on Muslim immigration, said on Sunday that he would be "very happy" to meet the White House hopeful if he visited Britain. Cameron has branded Trump's suggested ban on Muslims entering the United States as "stupid, divisive and wrong," and did not retract from that position when asked about the possibility of meeting the presumptive Republican nominee.

Asked if he would meet tycoon Trump before the November election, Cameron told ITV television: "I don't know. American presidential candidates have made a habit of coming through Europe and through the UK, and so if that happens I'd be very happy to."

In December, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on", citing "great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population".

Cameron told ITV: "I don't withdraw in any way what I said about the policy of not letting Muslims into America. I do think that is wrong and divisive. We've got to demonstrate that what we're up against here is a very small minority of a minority, Islamist extremists, that want to divide our societies. We've got to explain that there are billions of people in our world who are devout Muslims but who believe in liberal democracy and all the things we believe in."

Trump warned Monday he may end up having a bad relationship with Cameron.

"It looks like we are not going to have a very good relationship," the tycoon said. "Who knows, I hope to have a good relationship with him, but he's not willing to address the problem either."    (AFP)

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