US Projects Openness At Summit

美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)带着向拉美邻国示好的决心出席美洲峰会，而在峰会结束时，他也收获了两大反美中坚国家的良好反馈。不过，古巴领导人劳尔•卡斯特罗(Raul Castro)和委内瑞拉总统查韦斯(Hugo Chavez)的建议是否预示着两国将改善与美国的关系，抑或仅仅只是漫长且通常充满敌意的道路上的一小段坦途，这个问题还远远没有明了。Associated Press奥巴马与查韦斯握手总的来说，奥巴马利用为期三天的峰会表达了美国方面的开放基调。奥巴马周日说，如果美国被视为“善意的力量”，他觉得其他国家会更愿意与美国合作。在峰会上，34个西半球国家（古巴没有与会）还就应对全球经济危机和气候变化进行了讨论，但没有拿出具体措施。峰会最终宣言由主办国的总理签署，而非所有与会国共同签署，因部分与会国家对宣言内容持有异议，其中包括对古巴的政策。美国官员在会前就曾表示，希望古巴问题不会成为主导议题，但从峰会开幕伊始，古巴问题就占据了重要地位，前三位发言的拉美国家领导人都呼吁美国撤销对古巴的贸易禁运。上周，奥巴马取消了对古巴裔美国人回古巴探亲和汇款的限制，并开放美国与古巴的电信联系。卡斯特罗作出的回应是提出可以讨论包括人权言论自由和政治犯问题在内的“任何事”。奥巴马在周日的一个新闻发布会上说，这是进步的迹象，因此我们会继续探索，看能否取得更进一步的进展。美国官员说，他们很重视卡斯特罗的话。但美国与古巴政府之间的良好互动会不会带来更多的政策变化还不得而知。奥巴马说，他希望看到卡斯特罗释放政治犯，停止对从美国汇往古巴的钱课以重税。此次峰会也有一些尴尬时刻，比如说尼加拉瓜总统奥尔特加(Daniel Ortega)长达50分钟的演讲言辞激烈地谴责美帝国主义。但奥巴马还是赢得了美洲同侪普遍的高度赞誉，其中包括巴西总统卢拉(Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva)。卢拉说，此次峰会或许标志着美国与美洲其他国家关系的新纪元的开始。美国还试图洞悉委内瑞拉领导人查韦斯的动机，反美的民族主义情绪堪称查韦斯政权的基石，但在此次峰会上，查韦斯似乎很愿意与奥巴马交流。上周六，查韦斯送了奥巴马一本书，内容是记录对欧美在美洲地区的经济政治影响的看法。上周五晚上，两人在摄影记者面前握手合影，当时满脸笑容的查韦斯说，我想成为你的朋友。Laura Meckler / Jose de Cordoba相关阅读上合组织会议 美国将邂逅伊朗 2009-03-19希拉里访华大谈经济 避谈人权 2009-02-23希拉里访印尼  重视与伊斯兰国家关系 2009-02-19


President Barack Obama came to the Summit of the Americas determined to reach out to his Latin American neighbors, and he departed with two of the most antagonistic having reached back.Associated Press奥巴马与查韦斯握手Still, it was far from clear whether the overtures from Cuba's Raul Castro or Venezuela's Hugo Chavez would augur improved relations with the U.S. or just a smooth patch in a long and often unfriendly road.Overall, Mr. Obama used the three-day summit to express a tone of openness from the U.S., and he said on Sunday that he thinks other nations would be more interested in cooperating with the U.S. if the country were seen as a 'force for good.'At the summit, leaders of 34 Western Hemisphere nations -- all but Cuba -- also discussed responses to the world economic crisis and climate change, though few specifics came out of those discussions.The final summit declaration was signed by the host prime minister rather than by each nation, amid dissent from some members, including over Cuba policy. U.S. officials had said before the meeting that they hoped the Cuba issue wouldn't dominate, but it took center stage from the opening ceremony, where the first three Latin American leaders to speak all called on the U.S. to lift its trade embargo on the island.Last week, Mr. Obama lifted restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba for Cuban-Americans and opened the door to telecommunications links with the island. Mr. Castro last week replied with an offer to discuss 'everything, everything, everything,' including human rights, freedom of expression and political prisoners.'That's a sign of progress, and so we're going to explore and see if we can make some further steps,' Mr. Obama said at a news conference Sunday.U.S. officials said they were taking Mr. Castro's words seriously. But it remains unclear if those exchanges would lead to more policy changes. Mr. Obama said he would like to see Mr. Castro release political prisoners and stop imposing hefty taxes on money sent from the U.S.The summit also included some uncomfortable moments, such as Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's blistering 50-minute speech denouncing U.S. imperialism. But Mr. Obama generally won high praise from his hemispheric colleagues, including Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who said the summit could mark the beginning of a new era between the U.S. and the rest of the hemisphere.The U.S. also was trying to discern the motives of Mr. Chavez, Venezuela's leader, who has made anti-American nationalism a cornerstone of his regime but seemed to revel in interacting with Mr. Obama at the summit.Saturday, Mr. Chavez gave Mr. Obama a book that chronicles what it considers U.S. and European economic and political interference in the region. That photo opportunity came after the pair grasped hands Friday night before photographers, when a smiling Mr. Chavez said, 'I want to be your friend.'Laura Meckler / Jose de Cordoba