WORLD> Europe
Obama pledges new US relations with Europe
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-04 00:19

As the busy day began in France, Obama invited questions from his French and German audience heavily made up of students in a sports arena. Even though Obama talked about the event as a way to interact with young foreigners, he did most of the talking and took only a handful of questions.

He acknowledged "my French and German are terrible" but noted that translators were on hand. Much like during his presidential campaign, Obama paced the stage with a microphone, like a talk show host.

In his opening remarks, he underscored European and American ties and appeared intent on improving the US image abroad, which suffered under George W. Bush. "I've come to Europe this week to renew our partnership," Obama said, bluntly claiming that the relationship between the United States and Europe had gone adrift, with blame on both sides.

"In America, there's a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world," Obama said.

Instead of celebrating Europe's dynamic union and seeking to work with you, Obama said, "there have been times where America's shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive."

"But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual, but can also be insidious. Instead of recognizing the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans chose to blame America for much of what's bad," Obama said.

He added: "On both sides of the Atlantic, these attitudes have become all too common. They are not wise. They do not represent the truth."

Obama also encouraged Europe to support his new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy.

"I understand there's doubt about this war in Europe," Obama said. "There's doubt even in the United States."

But he said the United States and its allies must continue to work to defeat the "terrorists who threaten all of us."

And, he said Europeans and Americans had to look past disagreements over Iraq.

Obama opposed the Iraq war, which divided America from many of its traditional allies and was the source of bitter relations between the US and Europe.

"We got sidetracked by Iraq and we have not fully recovered that initial insight that we have a mutual interest in ensuring that organizations like al-Qaida cannot operate," he said. "I think it is important for Europe to understand that even though I am president and George Bush is not president, al-Qaida is still a threat."