Tag Archives: International Relations

President Obama in Portugal for NATO Summit

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First Asia, now Europe. After a whirlwind tour of India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan, President Obama is now in Lisbon, Portugal to meet with his Allied counterparts at the NATO Summit. While there, he will also attend the U.S.–European Union Summit.

NATO has a number of issues on its agenda for this Summit, including developing a plan to begin the gradual phase out of U.S. forces and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, approving a new Strategic Concept that forms the blueprint for future NATO operations, and discussing plans for a limited missile defense system for Europe.

In an opinion piece in the International Herald Tribune yesterday the president said about Europe:

“With no other region does the United States have such a close alignment of values, interests, capabilities and goals…. Neither Europe nor the United States can confront the challenges of our time without the other. These summits are thus an opportunity to deepen our cooperation even further and to ensure that NATO — the most successful alliance in human history — remains as relevant in this century as it was in the last.”

Do you agree with President Obama’s assertion that neither Europe nor the United States can confront today’s challenges without the either?

Obama Ends Asia Trip

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President Obama is in Japan for the last stop of his nine-day Asia trip. After meeting with officials and regular citizens alike in India and Indonesia, and participating in the G20 in Korea, the president traveled to Yokohama, Japan where he will deliver remarks at the CEO Business Summit and attend a number of events related to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

Regarding the G20 meeting the president said:

“The work that we do here is not always going to seem dramatic. It is not always going to be immediately world-changing. But step to step, what we’re doing is building stronger international mechanisms and institutions that will help stabilize the world economy, ensure economic growth and reduce some tensions.”
The president will head back to the United States this weekend, but he won’t be there for long. Mr. Obama will soon be back on Air Force One to travel to next week’s NATO Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

How did President Obama do on his Asia trip?

President Obama on Democracy in Asia

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In recent days President Obama visited the world’s most populous democracy and the world’s most populous Muslim country, also a democracy.  Not surprisingly, he took time in both India and Indonesia to talk about the value of democratic systems and the success both countries have seen as a result. 

In India the president noted that democracy has created shared values between the U.S. and India.  Speaking to a group of students at St. Xavier College in Mumbai Obama said:

“As two great powers and as the world’s two largest democracies, the United States and India share common interests and common values — values of self-determination and equality; values of tolerance and a belief in the dignity of every human being.”

In Indonesia, where the president spent part of his childhood, he said that the country had greatly changed since his time there.  During a speech at the University of Jakarta the president remarked:

“Indonesia has charted its own course through an extraordinary democratic transformation — from the rule of an iron fist to the rule of the people.  In recent years, the world has watched with hope and admiration as Indonesians embraced the peaceful transfer of power and the direct election of leaders.  And just as your democracy is symbolized by your elected President and legislature, your democracy is sustained and fortified by its checks and balances:  a dynamic civil society; political parties and unions; a vibrant media and engaged citizens who have ensured that — in Indonesia — there will be no turning back from democracy.”

Do you agree with the president’s statements on Democracy?

Obama Speaks at University of Indonesia, Heads to Korea for G20

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After concerns that the erupting Mount Merapi would force President Obama to abandon either his planned visit to an Indonesian mosque or his speech at the University of Indonesia, the president managed to do both before leaving the country.

President Obama, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, began Wednesday with a visit to Indonesia’s Istiqlal Mosque, which is one of Southeast Asia’s largest.  Grand Imam Haji Mustafa Ali Yaqub gave the First Couple a tour of the expansive domed structure while explaining its history and architecture including the fact that it was designed by a Christian, a powerful example of religious cooperation. 

Later in the day he spoke to an audience of nearly 6,500 at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, where he focused on the topics of development, democracy, and religious tolerance.  The president said:

“Innocent civilians in America, Indonesia, and across the world are still targeted by violent extremists. I have made it clear that America is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. Instead, all of us must defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion – certainly not a great, world religion like Islam.”

While in the country President Obama also signed a new comprehensive partnership between the U.S. and Indonesia that focuses on security, economic development, and socio-cultural cooperation, including support for educational exchanges. 

After a short but productive visit to Indonesia the president flew to Korea where he will join other world leaders for a meeting of the G20.  But before leaving Indonesia the president hinted he might be back soon when he said, “Unfortunately, it’s a fairly quick visit, but I look forward to coming back a year from now, when Indonesia hosts the East Asia Summit.”

You can find specifics of the U.S. – Indonesia comprehensive partnership on the White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/11/09/indonesia-follow-president-s-cairo-speech

Obama in India / Clinton in Australia / Dengue Fever

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President Obama says the United States will support India in its bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He also addresses the flawed vote in Burma, trade, terrorism and relations between India and Pakistan, during his three-day visit to India. At the same time, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Australia as her trip to the Asia-Pacific region continues. There are few treatments for Dengue fever, but researchers from the United States and Indonesia are seeking ways to control the painful, sometimes deadly, disease.

U.S. Backs India Security Council Bid
President Obama says the United States would support India’s bid for a permanent seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council. Speaking to a joint session of the Indian parliament in New Delhi, Obama says the United States “not only welcomes India as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality.”

Obama Condemns Burma Vote
President Obama says that Burma’s parliamentary elections on November 7 were neither free nor fair and failed to meet any internationally accepted standards. “The elections…demonstrated the regime’s continued preference for repression and restriction over inclusion and transparency,” Obama said in a statement.

Obama on India-Pakistan Relations
President Obama tells Indian college students that their country is taking “its rightful place” in the world and urges India to work toward a peace settlement with neighboring Pakistan. “I am absolutely convinced that the country that has the biggest stake in Pakistan’s success is India,” Obama, at right with students, says during a town hall meeting at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.

India’s Resolve Against Terror
President Obama pays tribute to terror victims and the resilience of Indian society, during a visit to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel buildings in Mumbai which were attacked by terrorists in 2008. Since the attacks, the governments of India and the United States have worked together more closely “sharing intelligence, preventing more attacks, and demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice,” Obama says.

Obama Promotes U.S.-India Trade
President Obama says increased trade will be a “win-win proposition” for the United States and India and welcomed India’s rapid economic rise as “one of the most stunning achievements in human history.” He says trade ties are “a dynamic, two-way relationship that is creating jobs, growth, and higher living standards in both our countries.”

Clinton on U.S.-Australia Trade
Trade between the United States and Australia is vital to generating jobs, creating economic opportunities, and improving lives and livelihoods, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “Done right, free trade and open markets are powerful tools to improve living standards far and wide,” Clinton says during a speech at the Port of Melbourne Education Center.

Enhancing U.S., Australia Ties
The United States and Australia pledge to strengthen military and defense cooperation as the two nations celebrate more than 70 years of close diplomatic relations. “Our relationship continues to be a strategic anchor of security and prosperity in this region and beyond, and our countries are working closely together,” Secretary Clinton says.

Controlling Dengue Fever
Indonesian and U.S. universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations are working together to control dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal. Dengue affects 50 million people annually worldwide, and drug treatment and vaccinations are currently not available. Right, investigators from Indonesia and the United States examine a well in Yogjakarta.

President Obama: U.S. – India One of the “defining and indispensable partnerships of the 21st century.”

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President Obama is touring India with first lady Michelle Obama, stressing the importance of U.S. – India relations and talking with groups that range from residents of a remote village to the Indian Parliament.

On Saturday President Obama spoke at the U.S.-India Business Council and Entrepreneurship Summit, where he told the group of American and Indian entrepreneurs and business leaders, “I believe that the relationship between the United States and India will be one of the defining and indispensable partnerships of the 21st century.”

He noted the similarities between the two nations – both democracies, both valuing entrepreneurship, both English-speaking – and praised India for the rapid economic advancement it has achieved over the past two decades.  He added, “I’m here because I believe that in our interconnected world, increased commerce between the United States and India can be and will be a win-win proposition for both nations.”

On Sunday the president connected with dozens of villagers through video-conferencing technology to discuss how IT services are changing their lives.  The residents told President Obama that broadband penetration has allowed them to engage in previously unavailable activities such as online medical consultation and education.  They also mentioned the added benefit of e-governance services, which are facilitating citizen services.

“This is good news. In the US, we are trying to do the same thing, trying to make the government accountable and efficient,” Obama said.

Today President Obama spoke to the Indian Parliament, where he announced that the United States will back India’s bid for a permanent seat on an expanded United Nations Security Council.  He added, “In Asia and around the world, India is not simply emerging, India has emerged.”

The President and First Lady Begin Nine-Day Trip to Asia

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President Obama departed Washington, DC on Air Force One earlier today for a nine-day trip that will take him to India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan.   First Lady Michelle Obama is accompanying the president on this highly-anticipated visit to Asia, which will include meetings of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in Seoul and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in Yokohama.

Earlier this week Jeff Bader, Senior Director for Asian Affairs, and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications sat down to talk about the president’s trip, answering questions about what the president hopes to accomplish in Asia, what he will see and do there, and what issues he will discuss with officials in the four countries.  You can watch a video of this conversation on the White House website. 

What would you like to see the President accomplish, discuss, or do during his Asia visit?

Human Rights in Burma / A U.S. Election Update / Kids And Robots

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backs a probe of human rights violations in Burma. We also have three more reports in our continuing coverage of the U.S. midterm elections, including one on President Obama’s campaign travels. The U.S. and Japan mark a 50 year relationship. The U.S.  urges support for the Lebanese government. Obama’s portfolio for his coming trip to India is packed largely with economic issues.  Learn how lost early American films turned up in a Russian film archive. You can study anything, virtually. In an international program for journalists, Bob Woodward stresses the importance of facts. Meet American fine-art photographer Peter Steinhauer and his Southeast Asian inspirations. And finally, here’s yet another reason robots are cool.

A Focus on Human Rights in Burma
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backs an international inquiry into human rights abuses in Burma and pledges U.S. support for efforts to improve the lives of its citizens. Speaking in Hawaii at the beginning of a 13-day visit to the Asia-Pacific region, Clinton, right, promises to “seek accountability for the human rights violations that have occurred in Burma.”


Obama’s Daily Campaigning
President Obama was warmly welcomed to the popular comedy program The Daily Show, but during his lengthy interview with host Jon Stewart it became clear the appearance was very much a campaign stop. With congressional Democrats facing tough challenges in the 2010 midterm elections, the comedy show’s first interview with a sitting U.S. president was another in a series of more than 25 campaign stops for Obama in recent weeks.

The Muslim Vote in America
The week before national midterm elections in the U.S., discussions over Islam’s place in America is prompting American Muslims to make their voices heard through voting. Various Muslim organizations are working to acquaint American Muslims with the voting process and to encourage voter turnout.

America’s Endangered Senators
On Election Day, only 37 U.S. senators will be chosen, but some of those political contests are among the most contentious in the 2010 elections. The 2010 midterm elections include 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans seeking re-election and 14 “open” seats (no incumbent running) that currently are split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance at 50
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan alliance with praise for a relationship “based on deep friendship between our people, on mutual respect, and on common goals and values.” The two met in Honolulu on the first day of Clinton’s seven-nation Asia-Pacific tour. 

U.S. Urges Support for Lebanon
The United States urges support for the Lebanese government as it works to reduce the threat posed by instability and conflict, says U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

Economy Tops Obama India Agenda
Expanding economic ties and growing business relationships between the United States and India will be atop the agenda as President Obama travels to South Asia beginning Nov. 6. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Mike Froman says India represents “one of the most important emerging economic relationships for the United States, both multilaterally and bilaterally.”

“Lost” Silent Films Found
Some of America’s early film history that was thought to have been lost forever has been recovered. Ten films from Hollywood’s silent film era have been found in Gosfilmofond, the Russian state film archive, restored, copied and presented to the Library of Congress. “This is like finding a lost Picasso,” says Pat Loughney, chief of the library’s $200 million Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation. At left, a still image from the 1922 crime drama Kick In, one of the found films.

Learning Virtually Anything
Salman Khan hopes to make his online classroom “the world’s first free, world-class virtual school where anyone can learn anything.” Based in California, the Khan Academy received a $2 million grant from Google to build the software needed to translate its content into the world’s most-spoken languages.

Woodward on Journalism
American investigative journalist Bob Woodward met with some 150 journalists from 125 countries in an interactive session at the U.S. Department of State as part of the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, named for the award-winning and pioneering broadcast journalist. Woodward stressed the importance of what he called “neutral fact-getting” and meticulous reporting.

Visions of Vietnam 
American Peter Steinhauer is a successful Hong Kong-based fine-art photographer whose work is displayed in museums and galleries worldwide, and also at the U.S. embassies and consulates in Vietnam and Burma. Steinhauer was inspired by a 1993 trip to Vietnam, and his work primarily consists of landscapes and portraits portraying Vietnamese culture.

Robots Draw Kids to Science
Robots that kick soccer balls, solar-powered vehicles and helmets that offer virtual bike rides were some of the attractions at America’s first national science exposition, the grand finale of two weeks of activities intended to motivate more young people to pursue careers in science. The expo drew an estimated half million visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

A Boost for Northern Ireland / Fighting IP Crime / Hong Kong Cleanup

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In Northern Ireland, investments by U.S. corporations are paying off. A top U.S. lawman calls for action on intellectual property crime. The United States wants to know if China is unfairly boosting its green technologies industries. And cleanup volunteers reach the beach in Hong Kong.

Investing in Northern Ireland
New investments in Northern Ireland by U.S. corporations bring new jobs and opportunities, particularly for young people, says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton, right with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness, says, “fostering economic growth in Northern Ireland will do more than provide much-needed paychecks. A stronger economy in Northern Ireland will help secure a lasting peace.”


Protecting Intellectual Property
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder calls for greater international law enforcement cooperation to combat intellectual property piracy that robs industry of billions of dollars annually and endangers the safety of consumers worldwide.

U.S. Probing China’s Green Tech
The United States is investigating China’s practices affecting trade and investment in green technologies, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk says. The investigation was initiated in response to a petition filed by the United Steelworkers union that alleges China unfairly supports its domestic producers of green technologies.

Good News For Costa Rican Trees
Costa Rica’s trees again will benefit from an innovative U.S. program to promote conservation of the world’s tropical forests. The governments of the United States and Costa Rica, the Central Bank of Costa Rica and the U.S.-based nonprofit Nature Conservancy have concluded agreements that will provide more than $27 million over the next 15 years for conservation of tropical forest.

A Makeover for Hong Kong Beaches
Volunteer teams in Hong Kong have joined the 25th International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by the U.S.-based nongovernmental organization Ocean Conservancy. “We want to put Hong Kong on the world map in terms of the conservation effort,” says Nissa Marion, project director for EcoVision’s Hong Kong International Coastal Cleanup Challenge. At right, volunteers collect trash from a Hong Kong beach.

A Busy Day in Brussels || An Environmental Success Story || A “Paradigm Shift” in Health Care

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Busy in Brussels, Secretary Clinton discusses NATO and Pakistan. There’s hope ahead of a crucial vote in Sudan. A new initiative is spurring interfaith action to improve Muslim countries. China and the U.S. are partnering on air quality. Counterfeit drugs are a pandemic. And finally, experts call for a “paradigm shift” in health care in Africa.


NATO’s 21st Century Threats
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to focus on 21st century threats such as terrorism, cyber attacks and ballistic missiles. “Relying on the strategies of the past simply will not suffice” says Clinton, right with Gates. The two also express support for the alliance’s proposed Strategic Concept.


Taxing Pakistan’s Wealthy
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Pakistan to collect taxes on its wealthier citizens in order to help pay for the country’s recovery from flooding that could ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars.

The Timeline in Sudan
Following a week-long visit to southern Sudan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice reports that the Sudanese people remain hopeful ahead of a January 9, 2011 referendum on the region’s independence.

“Partners for a New Beginning”
Partners for a New Beginning (PNB), an initiative joining American private sector and civil society leaders to strengthen opportunities in Muslim countries, adds further support to President Obama’s vision of “a new beginning” for the United States and Muslim communities across the globe.

A U.S.-China Success Story
AirNow International, a joint U.S.-China air quality program, is cited as a bilateral success by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson during a visit to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

The Danger of Counterfeit Drugs
The key to fighting a global “pandemic” of counterfeit drugs is building partnerships among drug companies, pharmaceutical trade groups, law enforcement and customs officials worldwide, experts say. Rubie Mages, a security official with U.S. drug manufacturer Pfizer, says pharmaceutical companies must “monitor the supply chain” and report counterfeit drugs to authorities.

Changing Health Care in Africa
Experts say a “paradigm shift” is needed in health care in Africa to include greater focus on the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and not just infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS. Silver Bahendeka, chair of the International Diabetes Association’s Africa region, predicts that “Africa will have the highest percentage of increase in the number of people with diabetes over the next 20 years.” Left, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is examined for diabetes in South Africa.