Obama renewed his call for direct US dialogue with Iran, saying he hoped to create the conditions to “start sitting across the table, face to face” in the coming months.
“I think there’s the possibility, at least, of a relationship of mutual respect and progress,” Obama said at the first press conference of his young presidency, but “it’s time now for Iran to send some signals that it wants to act differently.”
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Russian approval
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday he welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama’s offer to talk directly with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Ivanov also said the new leaders who had come into office in the United States and Russia were capable of taking a new look at their bilateral problems.
“It is obvious that the new U.S. adminstration has a very strong desire to change and that inspires optimism,” he said.
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Afghanistan timetable
In his first prime-time news conference, President Obama said he has no timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.
Potentially breaking first campaign pledge
Obama appears poised to break his campaign pledge to give the public five days to review a bill before he signs it.
The quick turnaround breaches Obama’s promise to offer “sunlight before signing,” a concept he detailed on the campaign trail and on his website.
