President Obama commends Alliance of Civilizations

Alliance of Civilizations (Link) (June 4, 2009)

Speaking in Cairo, US President Obama called for a new era of cooperative relations between the West and Muslim world and hailed "Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations."

Reacting to President Obama's speech at the University of Cairo today, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio "welcomed the bold vision set forth by the American President to inaugurate a new era of peace and cooperation between the "Muslim world" and the West based on mutual respect, trust and partnership."

"From the Alliance of Civilizations' perspective, this approach provides a strong framework, not only for advancing Muslim-Western relations, but also for engagement between diverse communities and cultures around the world. It constitutes our best hope to turn tides of mistrust that have beset us in past decades and forge a new beginning.

"President Obama's speech provides a clear path for constructive engagement with the Muslim world, a path that doesn't attempt to paste over differences, but builds on common aspirations. Most importantly, he emphasizes the need to address the various sources of tensions - including violent extremism and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians - and join forces to confront them. Moreover, President Obama recognized the realization of human rights, freedom and development opportunities for all as a main goal to be achieved through concrete actions", High Representative Sampaio said.

In his speech, President Obama welcomed initiatives that turned his vision into practical results and commended the Alliance of Civilizations. †

The full transcript of President Obama's speech can be found at the link above.

New World Order ~ Obama