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| Obama sets off on European trip | Obama sets off on European trip |
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| US President Barack Obama has set off from Washington DC for Europe on his first major foreign trip since taking office in January. | US President Barack Obama has set off from Washington DC for Europe on his first major foreign trip since taking office in January. |
| Mr Obama's first stop is London where he is due to attend the G20 summit. | Mr Obama's first stop is London where he is due to attend the G20 summit. |
| He will also join leaders at a Nato summit on the French-German border and visit the Czech Republic and Turkey. | He will also join leaders at a Nato summit on the French-German border and visit the Czech Republic and Turkey. |
| Mr Obama's mission during his tour will be to restore the US's place at the head of the diplomatic table, says BBC North America editor Justin Webb. | Mr Obama's mission during his tour will be to restore the US's place at the head of the diplomatic table, says BBC North America editor Justin Webb. |
| He will do so by asserting that the US has changed - that America is willing to listen and engage, but he will also insist that America still has the capacity to pull the world in the right direction, Justin Webb says. | He will do so by asserting that the US has changed - that America is willing to listen and engage, but he will also insist that America still has the capacity to pull the world in the right direction, Justin Webb says. |
| The host of the G20 meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is keen for world leaders to reach agreement on a new set of rules for the regulation of global finance. | The host of the G20 meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is keen for world leaders to reach agreement on a new set of rules for the regulation of global finance. |
| Speaking at a gathering of religious leaders at St Paul's Cathedral, Mr Brown called for the "values that we celebrate in everyday life" to be brought to the financial markets. | Speaking at a gathering of religious leaders at St Paul's Cathedral, Mr Brown called for the "values that we celebrate in everyday life" to be brought to the financial markets. |
| "I believe that unsupervised globalisation of our financial markets did not only cross national boundaries, it crossed moral boundaries too," Mr Brown said. | "I believe that unsupervised globalisation of our financial markets did not only cross national boundaries, it crossed moral boundaries too," Mr Brown said. |
| G20 LONDON SUMMIT World leaders will meet later this week in London to discuss measures to tackle the downturn. See our in-depth guide to the G20 summit.The G20 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US and the EU. Q&A: G20 Summit Have Your Say: Global Reform | G20 LONDON SUMMIT World leaders will meet later this week in London to discuss measures to tackle the downturn. See our in-depth guide to the G20 summit.The G20 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US and the EU. Q&A: G20 Summit Have Your Say: Global Reform |
| But with two days to go before the London summit, further splits are emerging on how to tackle the economic crisis. | But with two days to go before the London summit, further splits are emerging on how to tackle the economic crisis. |
| The French Finance Minister, Christine Lagarde, told the BBC that France would walk away from any agreement if the US and the UK were not prepared to accept a stronger financial regulator. | The French Finance Minister, Christine Lagarde, told the BBC that France would walk away from any agreement if the US and the UK were not prepared to accept a stronger financial regulator. |
| G20 countries are also divided over the size of their respective stimulus packages. | G20 countries are also divided over the size of their respective stimulus packages. |
| Some US commentators have called on European governments to increase the size of their stimulus efforts. | Some US commentators have called on European governments to increase the size of their stimulus efforts. |
| In response, some European leaders have argued that the economic crisis began in the US, and that America's stimulus package should therefore be more robust than other nations'. | In response, some European leaders have argued that the economic crisis began in the US, and that America's stimulus package should therefore be more robust than other nations'. |
| "This crisis started in the United States," said Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker last week. | "This crisis started in the United States," said Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker last week. |
| "The Anglo-Saxon world has always refused to add the dose of regulation which financial markets, the international financial system needed," he added. | "The Anglo-Saxon world has always refused to add the dose of regulation which financial markets, the international financial system needed," he added. |
| There are signs of agreement on other issues, however. | There are signs of agreement on other issues, however. |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to have said that chances were high that deals - for example, to regulate hedge funds - would be reached. | German Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to have said that chances were high that deals - for example, to regulate hedge funds - would be reached. |
| Town hall meeting | Town hall meeting |
| While he is in London, Mr Obama will hold extensive talks with Gordon Brown, and meet the UK opposition leader David Cameron. | While he is in London, Mr Obama will hold extensive talks with Gordon Brown, and meet the UK opposition leader David Cameron. |
| The president is also scheduled to hold bi-lateral meetings with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. | The president is also scheduled to hold bi-lateral meetings with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. |
| On Friday, Mr Obama will travel to Strasbourg, France, where he will hold talks with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and stage a "town hall"-style meeting, before heading over the border to Baden-Baden in Germany for a meeting with Ms Merkel. | On Friday, Mr Obama will travel to Strasbourg, France, where he will hold talks with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and stage a "town hall"-style meeting, before heading over the border to Baden-Baden in Germany for a meeting with Ms Merkel. |
| He will also attend the Nato summit on Saturday in Strasbourg, where talks are expected to focus on the ongoing military operations in Afghanistan. | He will also attend the Nato summit on Saturday in Strasbourg, where talks are expected to focus on the ongoing military operations in Afghanistan. |
| Mr Obama will then head off to the Czech Republic to attend the EU-US summit, before travelling on to the Turkish capital, Ankara. | Mr Obama will then head off to the Czech Republic to attend the EU-US summit, before travelling on to the Turkish capital, Ankara. |
| It will be Mr Obama's first trip to an Islamic country since he entered the White House. | It will be Mr Obama's first trip to an Islamic country since he entered the White House. |