President Obama’s message to Islamic world draws praise from UN chief

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly welcomed the speech delivered today in Cairo by President Barack Obama, voicing hope that it will herald the opening of a new chapter in relations between the United States and the Islamic world.

“The Secretary-General believes that President Obama’s speech is a crucial step in bridging divides and promoting intercultural understanding, which is a major objective of the United Nations,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Strongly welcoming the speech’s message of peace, understanding and reconciliation, Mr. Ban hopes this will have “a positive impact on the peace process in the Middle East and the resolution of a number of conflicts in the Middle East and beyond.”

The Secretary-General is on his way to Washington D.C., where he is scheduled to meet with US Vice-President Joseph Biden this afternoon. Tonight, he plans to take part in a dialogue on international affairs at the Brookings Institution, spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

Mr. Ban is slated to meet with US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu tomorrow morning before returning to New York, she added.