Obama abroad: Ghana, Italy, Moscow

by Mark Silva

The president, with an avowed goal of reengaging the United States in international diplomacy on a wide array of fronts, will add Africa to his travels abroad this summer.

The White House, in announcing today the date of a trip to Moscow -- July 6-8 -- which the president already had promised this year, added Ghana to the end of a July itinerary that will include the annual Group of Eight summit in italy.

Obama will travel to Moscow onJuly 6 to 8 at the invitation of President Dmitry Medvedev, the White House press secretary said today: "The summit meeting will provide an opportunity for the United States and the Russian Federation to deepen engagement on reducing nuclear weapons, cooperating on non-proliferation, exploring ways to cooperate on missile defense, addressing mutual threats and security challenges, and expanding the ties between American and Russian society and business.''

Obama will move on to the G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, from July 8 to 10. The White House says: "The summit and related meetings with world leaders from emerging and African economies will provide an opportunity for the United States to engage with its partners on a broad range of issues.'' Obama also will chair a meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate there, in preparation for a United Nationns climate summit in Copenhagen at the end of the year.

The president and First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Accra, Ghana, from July 10 to 11, the White House said. "The pesident will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues with Ghanaian President Mills,'' the White House said. "The president and Mrs. Obama look forward to strengthening the U.S. relationship with one of our most trusted partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and to highlighting the critical role that sound governance and civil society play in promoting lasting development.''

In early June, Obama also plans an address to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt, before visiting the concentration camp at Buchenwald in Germany. This will be his second international trip this year, followed by the third this summer.

Of all the challenges that Obama faces in international diplomacy, Africa represents the one region where a lot of useful ground has been plowed by his predecessor. Former President George W. Bush steered unprecedented sums of U.S. aid to Africa, with tens of billions of dollars committed to disease prevention on a continent where one in ten children never make it to adulthood in many countries. The former president and first lady also made severl of their own personal journeys across the continent.