US president Barack Obama today said the United States and Russia would have a replacement treaty on reducing nuclear arms in place by the end of the year, an announcement designed as an upbeat ending to a summit with Asia-Pacific leaders.
While trumpeting progress with Russia on arms control part of Obama's determination to put the world on a path toward nuclear disarmament, it became obvious that a 192-nation gathering next month in Copenhagen was not going to produce a new global treaty to reduce heat-trapping carbon emissions to roll back warming of the planet.
Nearing the end of his two days in Singapore, Obama also attended a second summit with leaders of the 10 Southeast Asian countries that make up the Asean group. Obama was the first US president to sit in on the meetings, that included the prime minister of military-ruled Myanmar.
Afterward, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama told Gen Thein Sein that he must free democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
Obama "brought that up directly with that government," Gibbs said.
Suu Kyi has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years.
While Myanmar ranks high among nations that suppress human rights, a joint statement by the United States and the Asean group made no mention of Suu Kyi.
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