WASHINGTON — Determined to change the way the world views the United States, Barack Obama is on to his next foreign mission: rebuilding relations with Russia, proving to global leaders that America is serious about climate change, and outlining his vision for Africa, his father’s birthplace.
And when in Rome? Obama will go to the Vatican to see Pope Benedict XVI for their first meeting.
Obama’s week-long trip — he leaves tonight for Moscow — typifies the pace of his first-year agenda.
Capitalizing on his popularity and his party’s hold on power in Washington, Obama is moving quickly and broadly on foreign policy. That often means overturning George W. Bush’s policies or mending relations that Obama contends went adrift under his Republican predecessor.
Obama’s trip is anchored around a yearly meeting of leaders from the world’s industrial powers, set for Italy. The Group of Eight countries — the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Russia — will try to make progress on climate change.
Before the Italy meeting, Obama holds a nuclear-arms-focused summit in the Russian capital.
Obama expects to emerge from Moscow with a framework for how the U.S. and Russia will go about reducing their stockpile of nuclear warheads. He and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated their intentions toward that goal in April during a London meeting.
Obama also plans to give a major address on U.S.-Russia relations and meet with a range of civic leaders, hoping to turn around Russian attitudes on the U.S.
In Italy, the G8 summit will center on the recession but is expected to produce more of a recovery progress report than new policy. Iran, climate change, food security in Africa, Middle East peace and trade also are on the agenda.
Obama will meet the pope Friday. Then the president caps the trip in Ghana.
