By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama nudged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to accept the goal of a Palestinian state, as he pressed Israel and the Palestinians to "step back from the abyss."

Deepening his direct role in reviving stalled peace efforts, Obama met Jordan's King Abdullah and invited Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for separate talks by early June.

He seized the chance to reassure Abdullah of his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite reluctance by Netanyahu's new right-leaning government to support eventual Palestinian statehood.

Obama reasserted his pledge to "deeply engage" in Arab-Israeli peace diplomacy -- in contrast to a more hands-off approach by his predecessor George W. Bush -- and predicted good-faith gestures from both sides in coming months.

"What we have to do is step back from the abyss," Obama told reporters after meeting Abdullah, a key Arab ally, at the White House.

But Obama's Middle East strategy has been complicated by the emergence of a coalition led by Netanyahu, who since coming to power last month has avoided recognizing the Palestinians' right to an independent state, as his predecessor Ehud Olmert did.

Obama took care not to confront Netanyahu head-on but made clear his administration hoped to coax him into accepting the principle of a two-state solution, which has been the basis of U.S. policy for years.

"They are going to have to formulate and, I think, solidify their position," Obama said of Israel's new government.

While offering no new ideas for solving the decades-old conflict, he insisted a "sense of urgency" was needed to resuscitate the peace process.

"I agree that we can't talk forever, that at some point steps have to be taken so that people can see progress on the ground. And that will be something that we will expect to take place in the coming months," Obama said.

Adding to pressure on Netanyahu, Obama added, "I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution. I have articulated that publicly, and I will articulate that privately. And I think that there are a lot of Israelis who also believe in a two-state solution."

CONTRAST TO BUSH

Obama reaffirmed his pledge to make Middle East peace a priority. Bush's critics had accused him of largely neglecting the conflict, and most Arabs considered him biased in favor of Israel.

Washington's reengagement in the elusive quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace is seen as a key thrust of Obama's bid to repair the United States' image in the world damaged by the Iraq war and other Bush policies.

Obama made clear his support for a 2002 Arab initiative seeking "a comprehensive peace" between Israel and all Arab nations, including a Palestinian state, to be an integral part of renewed peace efforts.

Successive Israeli governments have been wary of the initiative in part because it is vague about how to resolve the status of Palestinian refugees.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after having lunch with Abdullah that more must be done to revive peace talks. "We have to enlist the neighbors in the region in support of those efforts," she said.

It remained unclear, however, how hard Obama might be willing to push Netanyahu to make compromises.

On the Palestinian side, Abbas's political weakness -- he governs only the West Bank while Islamist Hamas controls the Gaza Strip -- raises serious questions about his ability to deliver on any deal.

Visiting Israel and the occupied West Bank last week, Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, said he would vigorously pursue the creation of a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu has pledged to hold talks with the Palestinians on economic, security and diplomatic issues but has made no public promise to negotiate statehood.

Palestinian leaders have rejected any notion of an "economic peace" and have said U.S.-backed talks with Israel could not resume until Netanyahu committed to statehood.

Source: www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

By Laura MacInnis

GENEVA (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prompted a rare walk-out at the United Nations on Monday when he called Israel a "cruel and repressive racist regime" in his remarks to a conference on race.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored the address which prompted dozens of delegates to leave their seats, further undermining the summit which some Western powers including the United States are boycotting.

"It was a very troubling experience for me as secretary-general," he told a news conference at the day's end. "I have not seen, experienced, this kind of disruptive proceedings of the assembly, the conference, by any one member state. It was a totally unacceptable situation."

Washington announced on Saturday it would sit out the Geneva forum on fears it would be dominated by unfair criticism against Israel. Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands then followed suit.

Their boycott left Ahmadinejad, who has in the past cast doubt on the Nazi Holocaust, in the spotlight as the only head of state at the conference.

His speech produced exactly the kind of language that they feared, which had also caused Canada and Israel to announce months ago they would stay away.

"Following World War Two they resorted to military aggressions to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering," Ahmadinejad told the conference, on the day that Jewish communities commemorate the Holocaust.

"And they sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine," he said, according to the official translation.

"And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine."

U.S. CALLS SPEECH "VILE"

Washington decried Ahmadinejad's speech as "vile and hateful," while the Vatican called it "extremist and unacceptable." Navi Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the address both "unsavory" and "obnoxious."

"I was shocked and deeply saddened by everything he said," she told journalists. "I don't think, though, that his behavior provided any justification for any other member state to walk out from this conference."

Dozens of diplomats in the audience promptly got up and left the hall for the duration of the speech. While most returned when Ahmadinejad finished speaking, the Czech Republic said its delegation would no longer take part in the conference.

"Such outrageous anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a U.N. anti-racism forum," said British ambassador Peter Gooderham, whose country chose not to send a minister to Geneva.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store told the plenary after Ahmadinejad's speech that Iran had isolated itself. "Norway will not accept that the odd man out hijacks the collective efforts of the many," he said.

However, a number of the delegations that remained behind applauded Ahmadinejad.

Ban, who had held a meeting with Ahmadinejad before the address, said it was "deeply regrettable" that the Iranian leader had ignored his plea to avoid causing upset.

"I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian President to accuse, divide and even incite," he said. "We must all turn away from such a message in both form and substance."

Earlier on Monday, Israel recalled its ambassador to Switzerland in protest about the conference and Israeli officials also voiced anger at a meeting that Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz held on Sunday with Ahmadinejad.

Arab and Muslim attempts to single out the Jewish state for criticism had prompted the United States to walk out of the first U.N. summit on racism, in South Africa in 2001.

Although a declaration prepared for the follow-up conference does not refer explicitly to Israel or the Middle East, its first paragraph "reaffirms" a text adopted at the 2001 meeting which includes six paragraphs on those sensitive issues.

Source: www.reuters.com/article/worldNews

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

By Mark S. Smith

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – President Barack Obama extended a hand of friendship to America's hemispheric neighbors on Saturday at a summit where he offered a new beginning for U.S.-Cuba relations and accepted a book about the exploitation of Latin America from Venezuela's fiery, anti-American leader.

At the Summit of the Americas, Obama signaled he was ready to accept Cuban President Raul Castro's proposal of talks on issues once off-limits for Cuba, including the scores of political prisoners held by the communist government. Some countries at the summit pushed the United States to go further and lift the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against the communist nation, which has complicated U.S. relations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

To Latin American nations reeling from a sudden plunge in exports, Obama promised a new hemispheric growth fund, an initiative to increase Caribbean security and a new regional partnership to develop alternative energy sources and fight global warming.

"I have a lot to learn and I very much look forward to listening and figuring out how we can work together more effectively," Obama said.

As the first full day of meetings began on the two-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Obama exchanged handshakes and pats on the back with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who once likened President George W. Bush to the devil. In front of photographers, Chavez gave Obama a copy of "The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent," a book by Eduardo Galeano, which chronicles U.S. and European economic and political interference in the region.

Later, when a reporter asked Obama what he thought of the book, the president replied: "I thought it was one of Chavez' books. I was going to give him one of mine."

Their exchange on the first full day of meetings at the summit followed a brief grip and grin for cameras that the two leaders had on Friday night when Obama greeted him in Spanish.

"I think it was a good moment," Chavez said about their initial encounter. "I think President Obama is an intelligent man, compared to the previous U.S. president."

Obama was taking part in a series of plenary sessions, group gatherings and one-on-one meetings that the White House hoped to squeeze into a busy schedule. He hoped to make time for individual sessions with leaders from Canada, Colombia, Peru, Haiti and Chile, aides reported.

Obama was noncommittal about a possible meeting with Chavez, who criticized past U.S. policy at the summit, but expressed hope that relations between the nations would change.

"I think we're making progress at the summit," was all Obama would say.

At his first meeting with South American leaders, Obama waited several minutes while security officers and members of the media pushed noisily into the room. Somebody accidentally hit a light switch, prompting Obama to ask: "Who turned off the lights, guys?" He said he hoped events would go more smoothly during the meeting where he said he would talk to the leaders about energy, security and other topics. "I have a lot to learn and I'm very much looking forward to listening," the president said.

In an opening speech to the 34-nation gathering on Friday, the president promised a new agenda for the Americas, as well as a new style.

"We have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms," Obama said to loud applause. "But I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership. There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations."

He also extended a hand to a leader Ronald Reagan spent years trying to drive from power: Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. The Sandinista president stepped up and introduced himself, U.S. officials reported.

Yet soon after, Ortega, who was ousted in 1990 elections that ended Nicaragua's civil war but who was returned to power by voters in 2006, delivered a blistering 50-minute speech that denounced capitalism and U.S. imperialism as the root of much hemispheric mischief. The address even recalled the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, though Ortega said the new U.S. president could not be held to account for that.

"I'm grateful that President Ortega did not blame me for things that happened when I was three months old," Obama said, to laughter and applause from the other leaders.

But perhaps the biggest applause line was his call for a fresh start in relations between Washington and Havana.

"I know there's a longer journey that must be traveled to overcome decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day," he said.

Earlier this week, Obama ordered an easing of travel and remittance restrictions for Americans with relatives in Cuba. Within hours, Castro — who took over from his ailing brother Fidel a year ago — responded with an offer of talks on "everything" that divides the two countries.

The White House welcomed the offer, but suggested actions would be better, such as releasing some of Havana's scores of political prisoners.

Added Obama: "I am not interested in talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

By Martin Petty and John Ruwitch

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai anti-government protesters in Bangkok surrendered on Tuesday, giving the harried prime minister some breathing space to try to fix the worsening economy.

"We have to stop because we need to look after the lives of our supporters," said Jatuporn Prompan, one of the leaders of the red-shirted protesters loyal to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who still commands widespread loyalty among the rural poor.

The government extended the New Year's holiday for the rest of the week for "public safety" in case the red shirts regroup in Thaksin strongholds and come back to the capital, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told Reuters.

"Overall, I don't think this is the end of the story," said Danny Richards, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit in London. "This crisis still has a long way to go.

"But in terms of this protest in itself, Abhisit has managed to remain in control, and I think you'd have to say he has avoided a major crisis of confidence in his government."

Police said Arrest warrants have been issued for Thaksin and 13 other pro-Thaksin leaders in the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) for violating a state of emergency, which forbids more than five people for political reasons.

Four of them were already in custody.

Thailand's intractable political divide broadly pits royalists, the military and the urban middle-class against the rural poor loyal to Thaksin.

S&P DOWNGRADE

Standard & Poor's downgraded its local currency sovereign rating for Thailand on Tuesday and said political tension would remain high, whichever side was in power.

"We believe that investor confidence has been damaged significantly as a result of the latest developments while, in the near term, inbound tourism will also be affected negatively," said S&P credit analyst Kim Eng Tan.

Thai stocks look set to fall when they resume trading on Thursday after a long holiday scarred by political unrest, and the baht may also come under pressure due to the downgrade, investment analysts said.

Abhisit was made to look foolish after the "red shirts" forced the cancellation of an Asian summit in the resort of Pattaya on Saturday, an event the prime minister had trumpeted as proof Thailand was returning to normal.

Protesters had besieged his office at Government House since March 26, demanding he resign and new elections be held.

But Abhisit restored some of his lost credibility after the military quelled violent protests on Monday between red shirts and troops at a major junction in the capital without too much bloodshed.

Two people died, both of them in skirmishes between residents and someone riding on a motorbike, while 123 people were injured in the clashes between soldiers and protesters, mostly from tear gas, authorities said.

Abhisit said on Tuesday the state of emergency in greater Bangkok that he imposed on Sunday would remain for the time being to restore order in parts of the capital where protests were still taking place "but without their red shirts on."

Thousands of red shirt protesters were put on buses back to their home provinces after their leaders surrendered to the military at Government House.

The violence has damaged Thailand's crucial tourist industry at a busy holiday time. Several countries have issued advisories on travel to Thailand.

The tourist sector was barely picking up after a one-week shutdown of Bangkok's airports by protesters opposed to Thaksin late last year when a government allied to him was in power.

However, a festive spirit returned on Tuesday, as people came out onto the streets to soak each other with water, a tradition of Songkran, the Thai New Year.

The government announced the three-day holiday would be extended for the rest of the week, although financial markets will open as normal on Thursday.

"DO OR DIE"

Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said red-shirted protesters had tried to stop transmission of a state television channel in two places on Monday, and Thaksin supporters were thwarted from setting up a blockade in his northern Chiang Mai stronghold, police there said.

"This is not the end," one protest leader, Nattawut Saikuar, told Reuters. "We'll be back. Our leaders will meet after Songkran to discuss our next move."

Abhisit told Reuters in the early hours of Tuesday it was a "do-or-die" moment for the rule of law and he would not negotiate with Thaksin.

He said dissolving parliament in order to hold elections could lead to electoral violence, but he would listen to the grievances of protesters.

The end to the protests is a blow to Thaksin, ousted in a 2006 coup and living in exile to avoid jail on a corruption conviction. He had been calling for a "people's revolution" that for now has fizzled.

(Additional reporting by Bangkok bureau; Writing by Bill Tarrant; Editing by Sugita Katyal)

Source: www.reuters.com/article/worldNews

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

By Martin Petty

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai army cracked down on anti-government protesters on Monday, firing warning shots in a major junction of the capital at activists who responded by hurling petrol bombs at them, a Reuters reporter said.

An army spokesman said soldiers trying to clear a main road in Bangkok were shot at by protesters before dawn, and had fired back. Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd told a radio station that troops fired into the air first in response to tear gas and smoke bombs thrown at them by protesters but then fired real bullets.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Sunday after red-shirted supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra forced the cancellation of an Asian summit in the southern beach resort of Pattaya.

At the Din Daeng intersection, Bangkok's biggest, troops repeatedly charged groups of protesters to clear a major road leading out of the city as Thailand began celebrating its three-day New Year's holiday on Monday.

A Buddhist monk with a megaphone was standing in the intersection pleading for calm and telling the soldiers: "Don't shoot, think about your country."

Huge fires from the petrol bombs blazed in the streets, and ambulances and firetrucks were at the scene. Police on motorbikes were shuttling between troops and demonstrators in an apparent effort to mediate.

Sansern said troops roamed the area in vehicles with loudspeakers asking the "red shirts" to lift a blockade at the junction but they did not respond.

"We have instructions to fire into the air in order to scare away the protesters," he told Channel 3 television. More than 10 soldiers had been wounded, mostly by being hit by buses driven by the protesters, he said.

An official at the government emergency medical service told Reuters they had treated 50 people.

A sizeable number of protesters had been arrested, Sansern said.

One "red shirt" protester on a motorcycle holding a wooden stake said defiantly: "We won't go. We're doing this for the people."

HUMILIATED AT SUMMIT

Abhisit had threatened on Sunday to take tough action against protesters who then began gathering in force in Bangkok.

He had been humiliated before his Asian peers when Thaksin supporters bowled over riot troops at the summit in Pattaya and smashed their way into meeting venue. Some leaders had to flee by helicopter.

The canceled Asian summit and now the heightened tensions in the capital have undermined confidence in the government and dealt another blow to the economy, still reeling from political chaos last year and the global financial crisis, analysts said.

Troops fired into the air on Sunday when anti-government protesters stormed the interior ministry. The crowds mobbed the prime minister's car and beat it with clubs as he drove away from the ministry.

After declaring victory there, the "red shirt" Thaksin supporters gathered at Government House in central Bangkok. By Sunday evening they numbered around 40,000.

The protesters set up makeshift road blocks and men, some with sticks, manned the barricades. Near midnight, the crowd remained large, although some had begun trickling home.

Thaksin, who has been making nightly phone calls to his supporters from exile, said on Sunday it was now the "golden time" to rise up against the government.

He repeated his call for a "people's revolution" and said he was ready to move back to Thailand to lead a people's uprising if there was a coup.

Thailand has seen 18 coups since 1932 and another one is certainly a possibility if there is blood in the streets.

After midnight (1700 GMT), however, Abhisit appeared on television, flanked by army commanders, to dispel any talk of a possible military coup.

"I can confirm that the government and security agencies are still unified. You can see all the heads of the armed forces meeting with me right now," he said. The camera panned to the commanders of the army, navy, air force and deputy police chief.

Source: www.reuters.com/article/worldNews

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

By Jeff Franks and Thomas Ferraro

HAVANA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro seemed alert and energetic on Tuesday in his first known talks with U.S. officials in years, and asked how to best help U.S. President Barack Obama normalize relations between their countries, U.S. lawmakers said.

"Of course, he has been ill. But I think we will agree that he was very healthy, very energetic, very clear thinking," said Representative Barbara Lee.

Lee, flanked by fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus, made the comments at a news conference in Washington just hours after three of them met with Fidel Castro in Cuba.

These were the first known talks between U.S. officials and Fidel Castro, 82, since he underwent surgery in July 2006.

The full seven-member U.S. delegation met with President Raul Castro, who took over from his ailing brother last year.

The meetings took place at a time of possible change in hostile U.S.-Cuba relations, spurred by Obama's vow to move toward normalizing ties with the communist-ruled island, 90 miles from Florida.

The United States has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba since 1962. The U.S. policy of isolating Havana began soon after Fidel Castro took power in 1959.

Lee, who led the U.S. group, and the others in the delegation said Fidel Castro appeared eager to try to improve links between the countries.

"He was very well aware of what was going on," Representative Laura Richardson told the Washington news conference.

"As he leaned in, he looked directly into our eyes, quite aware of what was happening, and said to us 'how can we help President Obama?'"

News reports have said Obama will shortly lift restrictions on family travel and remittances between Cuba and the United States. The U.S. Congress is considering legislation that would eliminate a ban on Americans visiting Cuba.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY

Obama has said he would maintain the trade embargo until Cuba shows progress on human rights and democracy, which Lee said the delegation discussed only generally with the Cubans.

Representative Bobby Rush also attended the meeting with Fidel Castro, which was requested after the U.S. delegation arrived to talk with his brother and other Cuban leaders.

Lee said it seemed as if Fidel Castro, long seen as the power in Cuba, was now focused on writing and reflecting.

"I didn't get a sense that he was playing any role" in the Cuban government, Lee said after the news conference.

Members of the U.S. delegation, who held a lengthy meeting on Monday night with Raul Castro, said they were convinced the Cuban president wanted to end 50 years of hostility between the two countries.

Lee said the delegation brought a simple message to Washington after their five-day trip: "It's time to talk to Cuba. The moment is now."

But moving forward in U.S.-Cuban relations may be difficult in the face of opposition from some in the powerful Cuban-American exile community and their political allies who view the communist government in Havana with deep suspicion.

The meetings with the Castros "mean that the Cuban government took the delegation seriously and perhaps had some messages for it to carry back," said Cuba expert Phil Peters at the Lexington Institute in Washington.

But, Peters said, "It's too early to conclude that a big change in U.S. policy, or in U.S.-Cuba relations, is in the cards."

The talks with Raul Castro were front-page news in the ruling Communist Party's Granma newspaper on Tuesday, which said the discussion covered various topics "with emphasis on the possible future evolution of bilateral relations and economic ties."

Raul Castro, the article said, made clear Cuba's position that it was prepared to talk about anything with the United States, while insisting on "absolute respect" for independence and national sovereignty.

A column by Fidel Castro in the same newspaper on Monday said Cuba did not fear dialogue and praised U.S. Republican Senator Richard Lugar for urging engagement with Cuba.

Lee said the U.S. delegation would report to Obama and the State Department before the April 17 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, which Obama will attend.

Source: www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

Today at the ASEAN Secretariat, H.E. Dimitri Tsikouris, who has been appointed the Greek
Ambassador to ASEAN, presented his letter of appointment to Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-
General of ASEAN. Greece became the 8th Member State of the European Union (EU) to appointits Ambassador to ASEAN.

Dr Surin said, “We welcome the appointment of Ambassador Tsikouris and look foward to
working with him to expand ASEAN-Greece and ASEAN-EU relations.”

According to the ASEAN Charter, non-ASEAN countries may appoint and accredit Ambassadorsto ASEAN. As one of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners, the European Union (EU) has announced thatall 27 member states will appoint Ambassadors to ASEAN.

Greece's appointment of an ambassador to ASEAN was preceded by Belgium, Czech Republic,Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The European Commission has also appointed its Ambassador to ASEAN.

Ambassador Tsikouris is concurrently the Ambassador of Greece to the Republic of Indonesia.

Source: www.asean.org

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

By Matt Spetalnick and Ibon Villelabeitia

ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama told the Muslim world on Monday the United States was not at war with Islam, using his first international tour to try to repair America's damaged image abroad.

Obama hammered home his support for the creation of a Palestinian state, despite the recent election of a right-leaning government in Israel, in an effort to show he was serious about reaching out to Muslims.

"Let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam," he said in a wide-ranging speech to Turkey's parliament.

In his first trip as president to the Muslim world, which had accused his predecessor George W. Bush of bias in favor of Israel, Obama said: "The United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security."

Chief Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed Obama's words, saying he had made a major commitment to the two-state solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel was committed to reaching peace and would cooperate with the Obama administration to achieve that goal.

Obama is on the last leg of his first overseas trip as president. He is trying to rebuild ties with Muslims after anger at the invasion of Iraq and war in Afghanistan, made more urgent by a resurgent al Qaeda and Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

"Our partnership with the Muslim world is critical in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject," Obama said.

"But I also want to be clear that America's relationship with the Muslim world cannot and will not be based on opposition to al Qaeda. Far from it. We seek broad engagement based upon mutual interests and mutual respect. We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding, and seek common ground."

Obama's visit is a nod to Turkey's regional reach, economic power, diplomatic contacts and status as a secular democracy seeking European Union membership that has accommodated political Islam.

"Given Turkish activity and credibility in the wider region stretching from Afghanistan to the Middle East, passing over energy transit routes, Obama wants to give new blood to a real strategic partnership with Turkey," said Cengiz Candar, a leading Turkish commentator and Middle East expert.

ARMENIA BREAKTHROUGH?

NATO member Turkey is a transit route for U.S. troops and equipment going to Iraq as well as Afghanistan. As Washington reduces its troops in Iraq, Incirlik air base is expected to play a key role and Obama discussed this with Turkish leaders.

Obama urged the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia during a meeting later on Monday to complete talks aimed at restoring ties between the two neighbors, a U.S. official said.

Ankara and Yerevan are engaged in talks to end nearly a century of hostility, including reopening the border -- a move which could help shore up stability in the volatile Caucasus.

Touching on a highly sensitive subject, Obama told reporters he stood by his views on mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915, which he has termed genocide, but said he expected a breakthrough in talks between Turkey and Armenia.

"I want to be as encouraging as possible around those negotiations which are moving forward and could bear fruit very quickly, very soon, so as a consequence what I want to do is not focus on my views right now," Obama said, trying to strike a balance over the issue while adding to pressure on the talks.

Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks during World War One but denies that up to 1.5 million died as a result of systematic genocide.

MUSLIM AMERICANS

The U.S.-Turkish relationship suffered in 2003 when Ankara opposed the invasion of Iraq and refused to let U.S. troops deploy on its territory. Turkey has also criticized Washington for allowing Kurdish separatists to be based in northern Iraq.

Obama drew on his personal background to emphasize his conciliatory message to Muslims.

"The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country. I know, because I am one of them," Obama said in his speech to parliament.

Obama also said he sought engagement with Iran, but added: "Iran's leaders must choose whether they will try to build a weapon or build a better future for their people."

Obama offered to improve cooperation in the fight against PKK separatist rebels and backed Turkey's troubled EU bid.

"Turkey's greatness lies in your ability to be at the center of things. This is not where East and West divide, it is where they come together," Obama said. (Additional reporting by Caren Bohan; Writing by Paul de Bendern and Ibon Villelabeitia; editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

by David Charter in Prague and Tom Baldwin

Fighting a heavy cold that has dogged him throughout his European tour, President Obama had turned in early for the night to get some rest before a big set-piece speech and a third international summit in four days.

His sleep, however, was interrupted. Shortly after 4.30am yesterday he was woken in his Prague hotel by his press secretary, who told him that North Korea had fired a long-range missile.

Although the launch was neither a surprise nor entirely successful, this was the first significant security test of his presidency, and the White House was determined that the world should know that he was treating it as such.

Aides gave briefings on how Mr Obama had spent the next few hours on the telephone to Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, as well as to other military and intelligence chiefs. “Had we determined that this launch posed a threat to the United States of America,” his spokesman said, “we would have taken whatever steps were necessary to ensure the safety and security of the American people.”

Even as he dazzles Europe, inspiring vast crowds and offering disarmament talks with Russia one day, acknowledging past US arrogance the next, the White House is acutely aware that Republicans back home say that he is an innocent abroad who promises too much for too little in return.

Yesterday, only hours before he was due to deliver a speech on his vision of ridding the world of nuclear weapons for ever, North Korea had grabbed the global spotlight and — in the eyes of critics — demonstrated that any sign of weakness from America merely encouraged its enemies.

Yesterday morning, as he addressed more than 20,000 people from Prague Castle, the President declared “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”.

The United States — as the only nation to have used an atomic bomb — had a “moral responsibility” to remove the threat of mass destruction, he said. “I’m not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly — perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we . . . must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, ‘Yes, we can’.”

At the end the crowd surged forward to touch him, as they have across Europe in the past few days. Marek Prokes, 22, a student who shook Mr Obama by the hand, said: “For me it was amazing. He is a president who can make a change. It is not just an empty phrase.” Paul Ermite, 61, declared: “That was the greatest speech I have ever heard.”

Mr Obama’s appeal to idealism, however, serves to conceal the hard-headed pragmatism of his purpose. By using a mix of exhortation and humility he hopes to overcome some of the hurdles that have for so long stood in the way of concerted international action, be it on nuclear proliferation, the economy, the war in Afghanistan or even climate change, which he later discussed at an EU-US summit.

The speech contained some important caveats, not least because much of his Czech audience is gazing anxiously at Russia’s efforts to reassert dominance over the “sphere of influence” in Eastern Europe that it once controlled with an iron fist. Mr Obama said: “Make no mistake: as long as these weapons exist, we will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defence to our allies.”

He added that the continued threat from Iran, as well as the North Korean test launch, underlined the need for the missile shield that the US, much to the dismay of Moscow, plans to base in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Yet the main thrust of Mr Obama’s nuclear disarmament initiative shows that he is intent on building bridges with Russia, China and, to a lesser extent, European countries such as Germany, which have balked at past American efforts to stop rogue states acquiring such weapons.

Gary Samore, the President’s arms control co-ordinator, said that the US was seeking “the moral high ground” so that other countries could no longer accuse it of double standards.

Mr Obama promised that he would seek immediate ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which the Senate has blocked previously.

In addition to the negotiations that he announced in London for a deal to cut the number of warheads held by Russia and America, he suggested yesterday that he may provide the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with the authority that it has lacked.

Mr Obama spoke of the Velvet Revolution in which the Czechs had overthrown communism without a shot being fired. He said: “It proved that moral leadership is more powerful than any weapon.”

Later he met Vaclav Havel, the playwright who inspired that movement and became his country’s first leader after the Iron Curtain fell. Mr Havel warned Mr Obama to “be careful” because he knew how idealistic hope could turn to anger. The President replied with a rueful laugh.

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

Malaysia's king has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, paving the way for his deputy Najib Razak to take over.

Mr Abdullah had been under pressure to resign since his Umno party suffered its worst ever poll results a year ago.

The party, in power since independence in 1957, faces internal divisions as well as a strong opposition challenge.

Mr Najib has already taken over as Umno leader, and is due to become prime minister on Friday.

Correspondents say Abdullah Badawi will be remembered for allowing more public freedom than his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad.

But he was seen as failing to fulfil his promises to eradicate corruption, reform the judiciary and strengthen the police and civil service.

Warning to party

Last week, Mr Abdullah gave a strongly worded warning to the party congress.

He said Umno (the United Malays National Organisation) would perish unless it stopped suppressing dissent, jailing opponents and discriminating against Malaysia's minority Chinese and Indian communities.

Mr Najib told the BBC last year he would do more to address the grievances of minority groups.

Anger has been growing over laws that favour the Malay majority in business and education.

In the general election of last March, the ruling coalition lost its two-thirds majority in parliament.

However it did get 139 MPs in the 222-seat body, giving it a simple majority.

Mr Najib is expected to take over as prime minister on Friday.

He has described allegations concerning the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, as "malicious baseless lies".

Two policemen who used to be in his protection team are on trial for the killing of the 28-year-old, while one of Mr Najib's senior aides admitted having an affair with the woman.

Ms Shaariibuu reportedly accompanied Mr Najib as a translator when he, as defence minister, negotiated a controversial submarine deal in France in 2002. Mr Najib denies ever meeting Ms Shaariibuu.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

In a very first for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ARF Voluntary Demonstration of Response (VDR) exercise will be held on 4-7 May 2009 in the Philippines. This exercise, co-sponsored by the Philippines and the United States, was announced by the Foreign Ministers of ARF’s 27 participants during the ARF Ministerial Meeting on 24 July 2008 in Singapore.

The ARF-VDR is a robust civilian-led, military supported exercise designed to demonstrate ARF national capabilities in response to an affected country's request for assistance and build regional assistance capacity for major, multinational relief operations. This is significant milestone for the ARF in its development as a regional security institution. Through this first ever field exercise, the ARF-VDR will move ARF from a forum for dialogue into one that facilitates and provides concrete, tangible contributions to regional security in transnational security issues such as disaster relief.

Using a scenario where Manila and Central Luzon are devastated by a super-typhoon, ARF participants will offer assistance to the Philippines in response to her request for international humanitarian relief. Areas of demonstration include land, air and maritime search and rescue, medical assistance/evacuation and engineering reconstruction. This first-ever ARF-VDR will also test the National Disaster Coordinating Council - United Nations Clusters Coordination mechanism in humanitarian assistance.

Over 20 participants from the Asia-Pacific region will participate in the ARF-VDR. Australia, European Union, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the USA will provide assets, personnel, and capabilities. The other ARF participants and international organisations will participate as observers in the exercise.

The media are invited to observe and report on the ARF-VDR from 4-6 May 2009 along with senior civil and military attendees from ARF participants and expert-level civil and military observers. Interested media should contact Ms Betty Lou Penera at 924-1942 (Manila), email blpenera@yahoo.com or visit http://www.pia.gov.ph/arfvdr/ for more information regarding scheduling, accreditation, and other arrangements

Source: www.asean.org

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN, U Nyan Lynn, who is concurrently the
Ambassador of the Union of Myanmar to the Republic of Indonesia, today presented his
credentials to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, at a ceremony at the ASEAN Secretariat.

Receiving the credentials, Dr Surin said, “The addition of Ambassador U Nyan Lynn as a member of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) will ensure smoother cooperation and communication between Myanmar and the ASEAN Community Councils, ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies, ASEAN National Secretariats and the ASEAN Secretariat; all in the effort of building the ASEAN Community.”

Prior to Myanmar, Dr Surin has accepted credentials from the Permanent Representatives to
ASEAN from Singapore, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Philippines. As the ASEAN Charter stipulates, the other ASEAN Member States – Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand – shall also appoint Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, and collectively they will constitute the CPR. This new mechanism will enhance the efficiency of ASEAN integration efforts.

Source: www.asean.org

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

Today (20 March 2009) at the ASEAN Secretariat, the Philippines’ Permanent Representative to ASEAN, Orlando S. Mercado, presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

Ambassador Mercado’s presentation of credentials followed that of Permanent Representatives from Singapore, Viet Nam, Lao PDR and Cambodia. As prescribed in the ASEAN Charter, all ten ASEAN Member States shall appoint Permanent Representatives to ASEAN which shall form the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR). Among other functions, the CPR supports the work of the ASEAN Community Councils and ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies and facilitates ASEAN cooperation with external partners.

On Ambassador Mercado’s arrival, Dr Surin said, “We are now at a halfway mark towards establishing the CPR. I will be seeing the Permanent Representative from Myanmar next Monday. I am confident that the rest - Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand – will formally appoint their respective Permanent Representative shortly.”

Dr Surin added, “There is much work to be done following the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter. In order not to delay matters, the CPR will hold an informal meeting on 25 March 2009 at the ASEAN Secretariat and I look forward to a productive consultation with them.”

Ambassador Mercado previously served as the Secretary of National Defense and a member of the Philippines Senate.

Source: www.asean.org

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

Denmark becomes the seventh EU member state to appoint its Ambassador to ASEAN. Mr Børge Petersen, concurrently the Danish Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, today presented his letter of appointment to Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN.

ASEAN has in the past cooperated with Denmark in the areas of transnational crime and capacity building in the Trade in Goods for new members of ASEAN. Dr Surin said of this appointment, “I hope Ambassador Petersen’s appointment will bring about a new dimension to ASEAN-Denmark relations. In particular, Denmark has a strong tradition of sustainable development, social justice and humanitarian concerns. There are a lot that can be shared and exchanged for the purpose of ASEAN integration and community building.”

The EU has announced that all 27 member states and the European Commission will appoint Ambassadors to ASEAN. So far, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Commission have appointed their Ambassadors to ASEAN.

Source: www.asean.org

[ Click to Continue Reading ]

by Elitsa Vucheva

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss the best ways to get out of the economic crisis. But despite some calls to spend more to support the bloc's ailing economies, most of the attention is expected to be focused on the need for better regulation of the financial sector and on "fine-tuning" the existing European economic stimulus package.

The two-day summit comes just as the International Monetary Fund presented the outlines of a gloomy forecast for this year, saying the world economy would shrink by some 0.6 percent, instead of growing 0.5 percent as previously thought.

In the face of the persisting economic turmoil, France and Germany's leaders sent a letter to the Czech EU presidency and to the president of the European Commission on Tuesday reiterating what they see as an urgent need to reform the financial system.

"The top priority is building up the new global financial architecture. The European Union must affirm a common position and take the lead in this process," French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote.

"The European Union shall propose that all hedge funds and other private pools of capital which may pose a systemic risk to be brought under appropriate registration, regulation and supervision," they added.

The EU summit will also aim to reach a common position among the 27 leaders on that issue ahead of a G20 meeting in London on 2 April.

"We are determined to reach at the London Summit concrete results for further action to strengthen international financial regulation," Ms Merkel and Mr Sarkozy wrote.

In a document the bloc's leaders are to adopt at the end of their two-day meeting, a specific annex has been dedicated to the EU's position for the G20, calling for more regulation of the financial markets and for better international coordination in order to ensure a quicker economic recovery and prevent further crises.

Spend more or regulate more?

France and Germany's letter came after recent calls from Washington that governments around the world should focus more on additional fiscal measures than on regulation as a reaction to the global turbulence.

On Wednesday, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also advised the bloc's 27 members to spend more to stimulate their economies.

"If member states are in a position to do more, they should do more," he told reporters in Brussels.

But most EU states – not least France and Germany – estimate that the bloc is already spending enough.

The EU committed €200 billion in a recovery plan last year (around 1.5 percent of GDP), but it argues that it is in reality to spend about €400 billion (around 3.3 percent of GDP) in 2009 and 2010, including non-discretionary public spending, such as unemployment benefits - or the so-called "automatic stabilisers."

Its energy and broadband projects, worth up to €5 billion, have proven to be the most contentious element of the EU's economic recovery package.

No agreement has been reached so far on how this money should be allocated, and the issue is likely to push aside any debate on possible spending increase.

EU leaders are expected to "fine-tune" the €5 billion package at the summit and reach an agreement on the projects that should be included in it. "We are on the right track," one Czech diplomat said.

The bloc is also considering "topping up" a €25 billion emergency package for non-eurozone member states, notably from central and eastern Europe, hit hard by the crisis.

EU leaders are to tell the bloc's finance ministers and the European Commission to "rapidly examine the possibility of increasing the ceiling for the Union's support facility for balance-of-payments assistance."

Social issues

Part of their dinner on Thursday will also be dedicated to the preparation of a special summit on social affairs in Prague on 7 May.

"The rapid increase of unemployment is central to our concerns," the draft of the EU leaders' final statement reads.

With recent figures confirming the soaring unemployment levels in the EU – the average jobless rate reached 7.6 percent in January this year, Mr Barroso on Wednesday called on the bloc's leaders to "focus their minds on employment issues."

A general strike has been called on Thursday in France to protest against the worsening economic situation, with the previous one seeing more than one million people on the streets in January.

Energy security will also figure among the topics discussed at the summit, with a gas row between Russia and Ukraine earlier this year affecting the deliveries to many EU countries.

"Energy security is a key priority which needs to be enhanced by improving energy efficiency, diversifying energy suppliers, sources and supply routes, and promoting the Union's energy interests vis-à-vis third countries," read the draft conclusions of the summit.

Meanwhile, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen is to brief his counterparts on the state of play of Ireland's preparations for a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, while the Czech Republic is also to inform the other EU leaders on the state of its own ratification process.

Source: www.euobserver.com

[ Click to Continue Reading ]