Vice President Biden travels to Afghanistan. President Obama praises the timely start of the referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan. The United States and China are working to improve military-to-military relations. A top U.S. official assesses progress in Haiti, one year after the devastating earthquake. President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy meet ahead of economic summits. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says sanctions on Iran are working. In Algiers, entrepreneurs gather and share ideas.
Biden in Afghanistan
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Vice President Biden is in Afghanistan to assess current operations and Afghan army and police training programs and to hold talks with President Hamid Karzai on political and economic progress. Biden, center, met with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, right, and U.S. Army General David Petraeus, left, for an “update from them on the situation on the ground” before his planned meetings with senior Afghan officials, the administration says.
Obama Urges Free Vote in Sudan
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President Obama praised the timely start of the referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan and urged all sides to refrain from intimidation, coercion or violence and to allow voters to freely and peaceably express their will. “The world will be watching in the coming days,” says Obama. At right, South Sudanese men wait to cast their votes at a polling station in Juba.
U.S., China Defense Talks
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The United States and China are working to improve military relations to manage common security problems and promote communication and understanding, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says in Beijing.
Assessing Progress in Haiti
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In the year since a powerful earthquake struck Haiti, an unprecedented international effort has mobilized to bring relief to the country while confronting obstacles both pre-existing the quake and directly caused by it. Deputy Coordinator Kara McDonald outlines the U.S. government’s approach to reconstruction and assesses the progress of the last 12 months.
Obama, Sarkozy Discuss Summits
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President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy agree to work closely in preparing for upcoming major economic summits that will address the continuing recovery from the recent recession.
Clinton: Iran Sanctions Working
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Secretary Clinton says economic sanctions are slowing down Iran’s ability to acquire nuclear weapons. “The most recent analysis is that sanctions have been working,” she tells university students in Abu Dhabi.
Business Conference in Algiers
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Dozens of American and North African entrepreneurs attended the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference in Algiers in December. Amel Chouikh, right, one of the attendees, says that the conference caused her to see opportunities for cross-border partnerships and for expanding her business outside Algeria and into other Maghreb countries.