Obama embarks on multi-stop foreign trip to Europe and Middle East

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-20 08:25:47

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) --

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has embarked on a multi-stop overseas trip for meetings with a number of heads of states, his campaign said Saturday.

For security reasons, there is no public schedule for the visit but the campaign's spokesman Robert Gibbs said the senator from Illinois has actually left Washington on July 17 and made a brief stop in Kuwait before arriving in Afghanistan on Saturday.

In Kuwait, he visited a U.S. military camp and played basketball with some soldiers.

Accompanied by two Senate colleagues, Democrat Jack Reed and Republican Chuck Hagel, Obama is now in Afghanistan and plans to visit Iraq.

He will also visit Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and the United Kingdom next week.

King Abdullah II of Jordan is expected to urge Obama, if elected president, to make Arab-Israeli peace talks a higher priority than has been the case under President George W. Bush.

In Israel, Obama is expected to meet the country's top leaders: President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

He will also visit the Palestinian territories, and meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayad.

Obama can expect a friendly reception in Europe, where he will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on July 23.

In addition, Obama is slated to meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Conservative Party Leader David Cameron as well as French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The trip is aimed to bolster the U.S. presidential hopeful's credentials in foreign policy and national security, which is considered his "weak point" in comparison to his Republican rival John McCain.

In a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, 48 percent of registered voters said Obama would make a good commander in chief, compared with 72 percent for McCain.

Editor: An Lu

Obama promises long-term support to Afghanistan

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-20 20:47:51

·Barack Obama promised long-term support to Afghanistan on Sunday. ·Obama also visited U.S. forces headquarters and praised their role in Afghanistan. ·Obama is expected to tour Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Germany afterwards.

KABUL, July 20 (Xinhua) --

The U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised long-term support to Afghanistan when he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Presidential Palace on Sunday, a statement released by Karzai's office said.

Matters pertaining situation in Afghanistan, regional stability, fight against drug, war on terror and enhancing Kabul-Washington relations were discussed, the statement added.

Both sides had exchanged views on boosting economic relations between Afghanistan and the United States and on bolstering reconstruction process of the post-Taliban nation in the meeting, the statement said.

Afghan president, according to the statement, expressed his gratitude for the role that the U.S. government and its people played in the rebuilding of the war-torn central Asian state.

Senator Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday as the head of three-member Senate delegation.

On Saturday he visited Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, and met with Nangarhar provincial governor. Senator Obama also visited U.S. troops stationed there.

The Democratic presidential contender who criticized Afghan government weeks ago had promised additional troops to Afghanistan to bolster war on terror after winning the coming elections.

The statement added that the delegation during the meeting noted that both the Democratic and Republican parties have been supporting long-term presence of U.S. in Afghanistan.

During his tour to Afghanistan, Obama also visited U.S. forces headquarters at Bagram, 50 km north of Kabul, and praised their role in Afghanistan.

Obama is expected to tour Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Germany afterwards.

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