Obama calls for stronger transatlantic ties, holds talks with Sarkozy, Brown, Merkel

Sarkozy, U.S. presidential hopeful hold discussions

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-26 19:39:47

PARIS, July 26 (Xinhua) --

Barack Obama, presidential candidate of the U.S. Democratic Party in forthcoming polls scheduled for later this year, has held discussions with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the French presidential palace has announced.

Speaking at a joint press conference, President Sarkozy said that there was a "great convergence of views" with Obama and that they had much to do in dealing with issues such as climate change, reform of world institutions and the maintenance of world peace.

In his remarks, the French head of state also took time to wish "good luck" to the presidential hopeful in the elections in which he is scheduled to face Republican Senator John McCain.

During the press conference, Obama called on Iran to accept proposals submitted by Western powers, including France and the United States, and abandon its controversial nuclear program.

Obama, who is seeking to become America's first black president, arrived in the French capital Friday within the framework of a tour of the Middle East and Europe.

So far, the tour, which is coming only months ahead of the historic U.S. polls, has taken him to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Germany.

After the brief visit to France, Obama, who addressed a mammoth rally attended by over 200,000 people in neighboring Germany, was scheduled to travel to London.

While in Britain, which is incidentally the final leg of his international tour, Obama is expected to hold discussions with senior government figures, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Editor: Sun Yunlong

Obama calls for stronger transatlantic ties

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-25 05:09:40

BERLIN, July 24 (Xinhua) --

U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama called here on Thursday for stronger ties across the Atlantic Ocean.

Obama made the call in his speech in front of the 226-foot high Victory Column, his first formal speech outside the United States.

"The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand," Obama said, winning applause from over 100,000 crowds standing on the street the Berlin Wall once ran over.

The Illinois Senator urged Europe and the United States to work together to "defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it."

"The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand," he said.

Obama noted that America and Europe should unite more to tackle international issues like terrorism, the Middle East and Iran.

"No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan, but my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond Europe's borders is a success," he said.

"For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone," he added.

Obama also said Iran should "abandon nuclear ambition" and called for a "world without nuclear weapons," which won widespread cheers from crowds.

Obama said he was speaking as a citizen, not as a president, but local media compared his speech to historic speeches in the same place by U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

Spokesman: Merkel has "very open" talks with Obama

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-24 23:27:23

BERLIN, July 24 (Xinhua) --

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had "very open and in-depth" talks Thursday with U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama, a government spokesman said.

During the one-hour talks, Merkel and Obama exchanged views on a wide range of key international issues, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East peace process, spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said in a statement.

They also discussed the trans-Atlantic economic partnership, climate and energy issues, the state of the global economy and "the need for cooperation on the international level and in international organizations to solve important global questions," he said.

Merkel and Obama emphasized the "great significance of close and friendly German-American relations," the spokesman said, adding that there was "a very good atmosphere" at the talks.

Obama arrived in the German capital Thursday after ending a visit to the Middle East.

Later on Thursday, he is scheduled to have a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The Illinois senator will make a key speech Thursday night in front of the 226-foot (68.88-meter) high Victory Column, a symbolic construction of Berlin, aimed at enhancing his foreign policy credentials for the U.S. electorate.

The speech has symbolic value as several U.S. presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, have also made significant addresses in Berlin.

After Germany, Obama will visit France and Britain during the remaining part of his week-long overseas tour, which has taken him to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Obama says U.S. needs overseas partners to help solve domestic problems

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-26 20:27:11

LONDON, July 26 (Xinhua) --

Visiting U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Saturday that problems faced by the United States at home need to be solved by working with overseas partners.

Obama has embarked on a multi-stop visit to the Middle East and Europe last week.

He told a news conference that "the reason that I thought this trip was important is that I am convinced that many issues that we face at home are not going to be solved as effectively unless we have strong partners abroad."

When meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Saturday, Obama said "We share the same language and the same belief" and Britain and the United States have gone through the world wars together and share same views on the world order."

In his last leg of his "world tour" believed to deliberately respond to the criticism that he is "naive and innocent" in foreign policy, Obama also discussed climate change, international terrorism and the Middle East situation with Brown.

Earlier, he also met with former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

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