Obama Urges End to U.S.-Russia Strains
REUTERS: NOVO OGARYOVO, Russia - Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday praised Russia's most powerful politician, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, as the two leaders met for the first time, saying there was an excellent opportunity to improve U.S.-Russia relations.

Visibly awkward, the two men exchanged pleasantries at the start of a meeting at Putin's forest residence outside Moscow overshadowed by Obama's criticism of Putin last week in a pre-trip interview as a man with one foot stuck in the past.

"I am aware of not only the extraordinary work that you've done on behalf of the Russian people in your previous role as prime minis-, uh, as president, but in your current role as prime minister," Obama said.

Putin, looking down and mostly avoiding eye contact with Obama, said there had been periods of greyish mood and confrontation in U.S.-Russia relations but added:

"We link hopes for development of our relationship with your name." >>> Jeff Mason, (Writing by Michael Stott; editing by Jon Boyle) | Tuesday, July 07, 2009

LE MONDE: Barack Obama appelle à la fin de l'antagonisme entre les Etats-Unis et la Russie

Dans un grand discours devant les étudiants de la Nouvelle Ecole économique de Moscou sur les relations américano-russes, le président Barack Obama affirme, mardi 7 juillet, que les Etats-Unis veulent une Russie "forte, pacifique et prospère".

Dans ce discours présentant sa vision des futures relations entre les deux pays aux relations compliquées, M. Obama a exposé la multitude des intérêts communs et des domaines de coopération possible."Ces défis réclament un partenariat mondial, et ce partenariat sera plus fort si la Russie occupe le rang de grande puissance qui doit être le sien", a-t-il dit. Il a opposé cette vision à celle du vingtième siècle, dans laquelle "les Etats-Unis et la Russie [étaient] voués à être des antagonistes", ou celle du dix-neuvième siècle, dans laquelle ils étaient condamnés "à rivaliser pour des sphères d'influence et où les grandes puissances [devaient] forger des blocs concurrents pour se contre-balancer l'un l'autre". "Malheureusement, on a parfois l'impression que les vieux présupposés doivent prévaloir, une conception de l'exercice du pouvoir enracinée dans le passé plutôt que le présent", a-t-il déploré. Mais "le temps où des empires pouvaient manipuler des Etats souverains comme les pièces d'un jeu d'échec sont révolus", a-t-il dit. >>> LEMONDE.FR avec AFP et Reuters | Mardi 07 Juillet 2009

WELT ONLINE: Ende des Misstrauens: Obama will von Putin Abschied von Kaltem Krieg

Barack Obama hat am zweiten Tag seines Russland-Besuchs in einer Grundsatzrede zur Überwindung des gegenseitigen Misstrauens beider Länder aufgerufen. „Amerika wünscht sich ein starkes, friedliches und wohlhabendes Russland", sagte der US-Präsident. Trotzdem stellte Obama auch klare Forderungen an Premier Putin.

Wenn die alten Klassenfeinde Amerika und Russland aufeinandertreffen, ist viel von Ideologie die Rede. So auch beim ersten Besuch von US-Präsident Barack Obama beim russischen Premierminister Wladimir Putin.

Allein versuchte Obama von den alten Streitereien der Vergangenheit Abstand zu nehmen. Stattdessen sprach er Russland indirekt eine größere Rolle in der internationalen Gemeinschaft zu. Er forderte das Land auf, gemeinsam mit den USA Verantwortung im Kampf gegen die Ausbreitung nuklearer Waffen und bei der Lösung der Weltwirtschaftskrise zu übernehmen. Die Welt brauche Russland als eine moderne Großmacht, die vom Denken in alten Kategorien des Kalten Krieges Abschied nehme, betonte Obama in seiner mit Spannung erwarteten Grundsatzrede vor der „Neuen Ökonomischen Schule“ in Moskau. „Amerika wünscht sich ein starkes, friedliches und wohlhabendes Russland“, sagte Obama. >>> AP/dpa/AFP/Reuters/cn | Dienstag, 07. Juli 2009

Syria's Assad Praises Obama, Wants Meeting
Photo of Bashar al-Assad courtesy of Reuters
REUTERS: ROME - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he hoped to meet U.S. President Barack Obama and expressed his willingness to help mediate between the West and Iran.

Assad, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Wednesday, also confirmed he was ready to resume peace negotiations with Israel but expressed concern about the political climate there.

"With the pullout in Iraq, the will for peace, the closing of Guantanamo, (Obama) has shown himself to be a man of his word," he said, referring to the U.S. naval base in Cuba where hundreds of suspected Islamist militants have been held, most for years without trial.

But Assad said it was too soon to speak of a "historic shift" in U.S. foreign policy.

Asked about meeting Obama, Assad said: "Yes, in principle. It would be a very positive sign. But I'm not looking for a photo opportunity. I want to see him, to talk." >>> Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by Matthew Jones | Wednesday, March 18, 2009

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Gordon Brown to Invite Gaddafi to London
TIMESONLINE: Gordon Brown is expected to invite two controversial world leaders, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, to an international oil summit in London.

The invitation could bring the Libyan leader to Britain on his first official visit after years of isolation. An invitation could also bring Mr Chavez, the champion of socialist revolution in South America, to London and an unlikely photo-opportunity with Mr Brown.

Drawing up the guest list for the Prime Minister’s promised summit in December, a follow-up to the international meeting of oil producers and consumers in Saudi Arabia over the summer, was always likely to be an awkward business.

Mr Brown is keen to be seen to be addressing the issue of rising fuel prices, and to be acting to coordinate an international response to rising demand.

However, for all the possibilities that oil diplomacy might yield, it was likely that news of who was coming would overshadow the agenda.

The head of at least one key oil-producing nation, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, was unlikely to be considered a suitable guest, following anger over his perceived nuclear ambitions.

Meanwhile the arrival of Colonel Gadaffi in the capital would be certain to draw headlines. It is over two decades since British diplomatic relations with the country were severed, after shots fired from the Libyan embassy killed WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was policing demonstrators outside.

Relations froze further after the bombing of an American airliner over Scotland in 1988. Since then the Libyan Government has accepted responsibility for the bombing, and ‘general responsibility’ for the killing of WPC Fletcher, and Tony Blair visited the country to meet the Libyan leader last year.

Colonel Gadaffi travels with female bodyguards and in recent trips to Europe, he has kept to his preference of staying in a black Bedouin tent, pitching it in government owned gardens in Paris and Brussels. Gordon Brown to Invite Gaddafi to London >>> By Will Pavia | September 9, 2008

THE INDEPENDENT:
The Big Question: Is the West Right to Resume Friendly Relations with Gaddafi's Libya? >>> By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor | September 9, 2008

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