President Obama Travels to Asia
November 12, 2009
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| President Obama departs for Asia |
On November 12, United States President Barack Obama began a 10-day journey to Asia, which includes visits to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea. The purpose of this trip is to strengthen U.S. leadership and economic competitiveness in the region, renew old alliances, forge new partnerships, and make progress on issues that matter to the American people and the people of the Asia-Pacific region.
The trip will include a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings, a Town Hall Event with Chinese youth and a visit to U.S. troops in South Korea. The centerpiece of the trip is a major speech outlining United States policy in the Asia-Pacific, delivered in Japan on November 13.
For Regional News regarding President Obama's visit to Asia click here.
Click here to read President Obama's Asia Pacific Speech in English, pdf 110k or Indonesian, pdf 133k.
The National Hospital in Dili inaugurated a new medical teaching and training center on November 13, dramatically expanding the ability of its professional medical staff to pursue clinical training opportunities on site. U.S. Pacific Command financed the construction of the center with $300,000 in humanitarian assistance funds.
Students in the Ba Futuru (For the Future) program at Seroja Center received a donation of English language books from the U.S. Embassy on November 5. Public Affairs Officer Mike Taylor presented each student with a copy of O. Henry short stories, designed for students of English as a foreign language. Matt Robinson, the course instructor and a U.S.-sponsored English Language Fellow, said, “These students are all teenagers. They learn best when their readings have interesting characters and a good plot for them to follow. These short stories are just the right complexity to help move their language skills to a more advanced level.” 
es President Barack Obama accepted the credentials of His Excellency Constancio Pinto in a ceremony at the White House on November 4, officially making him the new Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the United States of America. In his remarks, President Obama said, "I am delighted that Timor-Leste has assigned such an experienced diplomat to Washington, and I look forward to working with you to advance our common agenda and deepen the strong and abiding friendship of our countries." The President added that "As one of the world’s oldest democracies, the United States feels a special kinship with Timor-Leste – the first new democracy of the twenty-first century. Even as a young nation, Timor-Leste has already proven its commitment to democratic values by completing a successful transfer of power between elected governments – a hurdle over which many new democracies stumble." Ambassador Pinto begins his duties immediately as the newest member of Washington's diplomatic corps.