Rebuilding bridges (From The Northern Echo)

Rebuilding bridges

10:21am Tuesday 7th July 2009 in

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WHEN Barack Obama became President of the United States, he inspired an unprecedented sense of hope around the world.

After the disastrous years of George Bush, he brought the opportunity to rebuild international relations.

The danger, of course, was that he could never live up to his billing as some kind of superman.

But, while we should all retain a realistic perspective, President Obama is slowly but surely making the kind of progress he promised.

Last month, in a keynote speech in Cairo, he called for a “new beginning”

between the United States and the Muslim world.

The “cycle of suspicion and discord”

must end, he declared. There must be mutual interest and mutual respect.

Yesterday, President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reached an outline agreement to cut back their nations’ stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

Mr Obama said the two countries were both “committed to leaving behind the suspicion and the rivalry of the past”.

There is a common theme developing in this Presidency. It is based on improving communication and being prepared to resolve problems by breaking down barriers instead of erecting them in displays of bravado.

It is a clear and welcome change of direction from his predecessor.

Just as there is a long way to go in the “new beginning” between America and the Muslim world, there is much still to do before the US and Russia truly trust each other.

But President Obama has made a solid start – and we should all be encouraged by that.