US-European relations, Iran and Afghanistan were the main topics addressed by Barack Obama during a joint press conference with President Nicolas Sarkozy during his visit to Paris on July 25. Obama's stop in Paris was part of a tour abroad aimed at reinforcing his international stature.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US-European relations
During the joint press conference following an hour-long private meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, Barack Obama expressed regret at the 'caricatures' still prevalent among Europeans and Americans.
He noted that Europeans perceive Americans as being 'unilateral and militaristic', sometimes forgetting 'the great sacrifices that American soldiers and taxpayers made to help rebuild Europe.”
“On the other side,' he continued, 'in the United States, there is a tendency to say that Europeans don't want to get involved or get their hands dirty' with these very difficult, thorny security issues. 'It's time to get beyond the caricatures on both sides of the Atlantic.”
In his view, American voters are well aware that the problems of climate change, the problems of energy and terrorism cannot be solved by one country alone.
With regard to relations between the United States and France, the Democratic presidential hopeful —, who once again insisted he was speaking as candidate, not as president —, congratulated Nicolas Sarkozy for “shattering those stereotypes, those caricatures.” He assured his audience that “the average American has enormous affection for the French people.”
When asked why his stay in France was so short, Obama said it was due to schedule constraints.
One day after his speech in Berlin before a crowd of 200,000 people, Obama explained that his address in Germany was intended for a broad European audience and that he hoped his friends in France had heard what he had to say about strengthening relations between the United States and Europe.
'There's a tremendous convergence of views,” assured Nicolas Sarkozy. He said he was “impatient for the great American democracy to choose its next president so that Europe and the United States can take many initiatives together.”
'We are friends —, independent friends but friends —, so you should know that here in Europe and here in France we are watching what you are doing with great interest,” he said.
+ + + +
Iran
Barack Obama called upon Iran not to wait for the next US president to accept Western proposals regarding its nuclear program, “for the pressure is only going to build.”
The Democratic senator also directly addressed Teheran: 'If you change your attitude, you will have all the advantages of that change. If you continue your illicit program, the international community will put more and more pressure on you, especially with regard to sanctions.”
Afghanistan
During the press conference, Barack Obama thanked France for its military commitment in Afghanistan. The French president emphasized the situation in Afghanistan in particular. “We have to win this war (...) We cannot allow the Taliban to come back, which has deprived six million little girls from going to school simply because they are little girls,” he insisted, recalling his decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan.
+ + + +
Obamania
Like many other countries of Europe, France appears to be under the spell of “Obamania”.
According to a poll published in June by the Daily Telegraph in Britain, 52% of Europeans (65% in the case of the French) would vote for the Illinois senator, compared with 15% for the likely Republican candidate, John McCain.
Barack Obama's tour abroad is intended to boost his international image and strengthen his relationships with key partners of the United States in the Middle East and in Europe. The Democratic senator went to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan and Israel before beginning the European leg of his trip in Berlin.
Obama left early Friday evening to meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair in the last stage of his trip, which commentators thus far consider to have been flawlessly executed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read :
- Barack Obama's Speech in Berlin, July 24th
- Barack Obama : étape à Paris, après Berlin et avant Londres
Par
Ajouter un commentaire