Obama UN - President Barack Obama and the World - April 2009 - Obama International News, Obama International Photos and Images, and Obama International Envoy Activities and Visits.

NOTE: The April timeline below shows select highlights of President Obama's many foreign trips in April.
For Complete Archives of Obama's April 2009 trips click on the Special International Sections above.

April 1, 2009
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are greeted by UK PM Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah. The US
President's special limousine known as "The Beast" drove Obama to 10 Downing Street, the residence of the UK Prime Minister.

April 1, 2009
President Barack Obama and UK PM Gordon Brown speak at a joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office in London after a meeting with UK foreign officials at the residence of the Prime Minister.

April 1, 2009
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visit Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh at
Buckingham Palace in London. After a private meeting with the Queen President Obama and Michelle joined a reception for
G20 leaders at Buckingham Palace.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN LONDON, UK ON APRIL1, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to London, UK on March 31-April 1, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 2, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives at the Excel Centre in London and is greeted by the UK PM Gordon Brown the host of the
2009 London G20 Summit on April 2, 2009. The focus of the summit is the international financial crisis including changes to
global banking, stock market controls, and job creation.

April 2, 2009
First Lady Michelle Obama joins Sarah Brown, the wife of UK PM Brown, and other spouses of G20 leaders at a special
performance of Giselle at the Royal Opera House in London on April 2, 2009.

April 2, 2009
President Barack Obama and US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner are seated next to G20 host UK Prime Minister Gordon
Brown at the Plenary session of the G20 Summit at the Excel Centre in the London dockyards area. The key agreements at
the G20 Summit include stricter banking controls, and $1.1 trillion dollars in funding for countries in need of fiscal assistance.
Leaders of the G20 countries also agreed to tighten secret offshore banking practices.

April 2, 2009
First Lady Michelle Obama visits students at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language School in London on April 2, 2009.
Michelle Obama watched a dance performance and then spoke to the students. The First Lady was teary-eyed as she talked
about her rise to First Lady and the potential that lies within each of the students at the school.

April 2, 2009
At the end of the day, President Barack Obama holds a G20 press conference on the main stage of the Excel Centre in
London, UK. President Obama made positive remarks on the outcome of the G20 Summit. President Obama took a few
questions from the large pool of international reporters who attended Obama's G20 press conference. Obama characterized
the results of the meeting for the US as OK when asked by a reporter from India. President Obama said he was battling a
cold and was seen coughing, sneezing, and drinking plenty of bottled water while at the G20 podium.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN LONDON, UK ON APRIL 2, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to London, UK on April 2, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are greeted by French President Sarkozy and his wife Carla
Bruni-Sarkozy at the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France near the French German border. President Obama arrived
in his special Cadillac limousine known as "The Beast" and was greeted by a crowd of French supporters.

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama walks by a military honor guard in the palace courtyard and partakes in a welcoming ceremony.
A French military band played the French and American national anthems at the ceremony in the Palais Rohan. First Lady
Michelle Obama and French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy participated in the Strasbourg, France arrival ceremony.

April 3, 2009
US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose with French President Sarkozy and French First Lady
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on the steps of the Palais Rohan before attending a meeting and luncheon in the Strasbourg palace.

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama holds a town hall style meeting with a young German and French audience at the Rhenus Sports
Arena in Strasbourg, France. President Obama opened with remarks and took several questions from the arena crowd.
President Obama called for a world without nuclear arms.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN STRASBOURG, FRANCE ON APRIL 3, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Strasbourg, France on April 3, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are cheered by the crowd, and welcomed by German Chancellor
Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer in the market at Baden-Baden, Germany on April 3, 2009. The President
and First Lady arrived at the market in the presidential limo. President Obama and Chancellor Merkel talked as they
strolled through the market on their way to a welcoming ceremony.

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama joins German Chancellor Angela Merkel to inspect a German Military Honour Guard and pause for the
playing of the national anthems of the US and Germany. First Lady Obama and Chancellor Merkel's husband walked with their
leader spouses to the Baden-Baden Rathaus (City Hall) for ceremonies and meetings.

April 3, 2009
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sign the Baden-Baden Golden Book at the Rathaus (City Hall). The President
is greeted by Baden-Baden Mayor Wolfgang Gerstner, and young Germans dressed in traditional Black Forest area dress.

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint news conference at the Baden-Baden City Hall
or Rathaus on April 3, 2009. The press conference remarks and questions were in both English and German requiring an
ear piece translator for President Obama.

April 3, 2009
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend a piano concert at the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden, Germany.
The German cultural event was attended by NATO leaders and their spouses.

April 3, 2009
President Obama, NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer, and NATO leaders assemble in a meeting room in the Kurhaus in
Baden-Baden, to review key discussion points of the 60th NATO Summit agenda and review new resolutions for Afghanistan.
The NATO leaders attend the 60th Anniversary NATO Summit in Kehl, Germany and Strasbourg, France on April 4, 2009.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN BADEN-BADEN, GERMANY ON APRIL 3, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Baden-Baden, Germany on April 3, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 4, 2009
President Barack Obama and the NATO leaders walk in a ceremonial crossing of the Passarelle Mimram (Two Banks)
Pedestrian Bridge from Kehl, Germany to Strasbourg, France on April 4, 2009.

April 4, 2009
President Barack Obama and NATO leaders participate in a NATO Military Ceremony and a moment of silence for fallen
NATO soldiers in Strasbourg, France on April 4, 2009.

April 4, 2009
President Barack Obama and NATO leaders attend the 60th Anniversary NATO North Atlantic Council meetings in
Strasbourg, France on April 4, 2009. President Obama welcomed Croatia and Albania to the NATO family of countries.

April 4, 2009
First Lady Michelle Obama meets First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and the spouses of other G20 leaders for a tour of
Notre-dame de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Cathedral) on April 4, 2009.

April 4, 2009
President Barack Obama holds a press conference at the end of the 60th Anniversary NATO Summit in Strasbourg, France on
April 4, 2009. After the press conference President Obama departs for EU meetings in Prague, Czech Republic.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN STRASBOURG, FRANCE & KEHL, GERMANY ON APRIL 4/09
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to France and Germany on April 4, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 5, 2009
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive in the presidential limo at the Prague Castle in the Czech
Republic on April 5, 2009. The Obamas were greeted by Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus and his wife Livia. President
Obama inspected a Czech honor guard after his arrival at the medieval Prague Castle.

April 5, 2009
President Obama meets privately in the Prague Castle with Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus and Czech Prime Minister
Mirek Topolanek. The US and Czech First Ladies joined their husbands after they met in the Prague Castle on April 5, 2009.

April 5, 2009
President Barack Obama delivers a speech to an estimated 25,000 people in Hradcanske Square in the Old City part of
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. President Obama spoke of a world free of nuclear weapons in the future.

April 5, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives at the European Union and United States (EU-US) Summit in Prague, Czech Republic on
April 5, 2009. The European Union leaders and President Obama met for a group photo then broke off for bilateral meetings.
President Obama met with Jose Manuel Barroso the President of the European Union.

April 5, 2009
US First Lady Michelle Obama and Czech First Lady Livia Klaus tour the Old City synagogues and churches in Prague, Czech
Republic on April 5, 2009. Michelle Obama toured Pinkas synagogue, a Jewish museum and an ancient cemetery, Saint
Vitus Cathedral, and Saint Vaclav Chapel in the Prague Castle.

April 5, 2009
President Obama ends his trip to the EU Summit and Prague after meetings with the former Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel,
Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, and Polish President Lech Kacynski. Obama wrapped up his EU visit with a brief statement.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC ON APRIL 5, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Prague, Czech Republic on April 5, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 6, 2009
President Barack Obama begins his day in Ankara, Turkey at a wreath laying ceremony at Anitkabir Mausoleum on April 6, 2009.
Anitkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who is the founder of modern Turkey. Ataturk was the leader of the
Turkish War of Independence and Turkey's first president.

April 6, 2009
President Barack Obama attends a Welcome Ceremony on the grounds of Cankaya Palace with Turkey's President Abdullah
Gul in Ankara, Turkey on April 6, 2009. President Obama inspected a Turkish Honor Guard followed by the playing of the US
and Turkish national anthems.

April 6, 2009
President Barack Obama and Turkey's President Abdullah Gul hold a joint news conference in Ankara, Turkey on April 6, 2009.
Turkey is the first Muslim country visited by President Obama. Turkey borders Syria, Iran, and Iraq and is a key strategic ally
off the US. President Obama has recommended Turkey's acceptance into the European Union.

April 6, 2009
President Barack Obama delivers an Address to the General assembly of the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Turkey on
April 6, 2009. President Obama told the Turkish people that America is not at war with Islam and that his heritage has
Muslim roots and relatives. President Obama was led into the Turkish Parliament by Speaker Koksal Toptan.

April 6, 2009
President Barack Obama Obama meets with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan at the Prime Minister's residence in Ankara,
Turkey prior to Obama's departure in his presidential limo and then to Air Force One for a trip to Istanbul and Baghdad, Iraq.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN ANKARA, TURKEY ON APRIL 6, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Ankara, Turkey on April 6, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 7, 2009
President Barack Obama and Turkish PM Erdogan tour the Ottoman era Sultanahmet Mosque known as the Blue Mosque in
Istanbul, Turkey on April 7, 2009. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel joined President Obama for the tour of the popular Mosque.

April 7, 2009
President Barack Obama and Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan tour the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey on April 7, 2009.
The Hagia Sophia monument is a magnificent example of Byzantine era architecture.

April 7, 2009
President Barack Obama holds a town hall style meeting with students at the Tophane Cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey on
April 7, 2009. National Security Advisor James Jones attended Obama's Istanbul meeting with Turkish students.

April 7, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives on Air Force One at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on April 7, 2009. President
Obama is welcomed by General Ray Odierno the top US Commander in Iraq. President Obama's trip to Baghdad was
a surprise four hour visit. President Obama's motorcade went directly from the airport to the US base Camp Victory.

April 7, 2009
President Barack Obama meets with General Ray Odierno and National Security Advisor James Jones at Camp Victory in
Baghdad, Iraq on April 7, 2009. The Camp Victory military office walls are covered with various maps of Iraq and area.

April 7, 2009
President Obama speaks to US military personnel at Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory on April 7, 2009. President Obama thanked
the troops for their service and advised that Iraq will soon be responsible for governing and securing their own country.

April 7, 2009
President Barack Obama meets with Iraq's President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Niri al-Maliki in Baghdad, Iraq on
April 7, 2009. President Obama and PM al-Maliki hold a joint news conference at the conclusion of their meetings. Obama's
surprise visit to Iraq was broadcast on Iraqi television.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY & BAGHDAD, IRAQ ON 4/7/09
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Istanbul, Turkey and Baghdad Iraq on April 7, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 16, 2009
President Barack Obama in Air Force One lands at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City on April 16, 2009.
The President is then transported to Campo de Mart Military Field via Marine One to join Mexican President Calderon.

April 16, 2009
President Barack Obama joins Mexican President Felipe Calderon for a Welcoming Ceremony with an honor guard inspection
and national anthems at Los Pinos the Presidential Residence in Mexico City on April 16, 2009.

April 16, 2009
President Barack Obama meets with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon at Los Pinos the official residence of the Mexican
President. After the meeting President Obama and President Calderon hold a joint press conference. President Obama
discussed the illegal border crossings of drugs and guns and vowed to stem the flow of arms from the US into Mexico.

April 16, 2009
President Barack Obama attends a dinner in his honor at the Anthropology National Museum in Mexico City. President
Calderon and President Obama spoke to the guests prior to dinner. The following morning President Obama departed
Mexico City on Air Force One for the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN MEXICO ON APRIL 16, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Mexico City, Mexico on April 16, 2009
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 17, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives on Air Force One at Port of Spain airport in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17, 2009 for the
5th Summit of the Americas. This is President Obama's first foreign trip to Latin America. President Obama is greeted by
dignitaries and an honor guard before leaving in his presidential limousine.

April 17, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives for the opening of the 5th Summit of the Americas at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago on April 17, 2009 and mingles with Latin American leaders. President Obama talked with Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez, Chilean President Bachelet, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and other heads of state.

April 17, 2009
President Barack Obama and over 30 other world leaders attend the official opening of the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port
of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on April 17, 2009. President Obama greeted several Latin American
Leaders including the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning, Bolivian President Evo Morales, Nicaragua's
President Daniel Ortega, and Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias. Prior to speaking President Obama listened to opening
remarks by other Latin American leaders.

April 17, 2009
President Barack Obama speaks at the opening of the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on
April 17, 2009. Watch the video below for the remarks by President Obama that emphasize a new era of dialogue with Latin
American leaders and their countries. Venezuelan President Chavez told Hilary Clinton after meeting Obama that he would
like to return an Ambassador to the United States. Cuba's Castro indicated a willingness to open up discussions with the US
after 50 years of strained relations.

April 17, 2009
President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meet the host country Trinidad and Tobago, and with leaders
of other Caribbean countries at the CARICOM meetings in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago on April 17, 2009.

April 18, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the second day of the 5th Summit of the
Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 18, 2009. The North American leaders met on Obama's first foreign
trip in Ottawa, Canada on February 19, 2009 and again in Europe in early April at the G20 Summit in London and the NATO
conference in Strasbourg, France. President Obama met with PM Harper on the evening of Friday, April 17th and again on
the morning of Saturday, April 18th prior to attending the second day of the American summit. When asked by reporters
what Obama discussed with PM Harper, President Obama said he gets a lot of "good tips" from Canada.

April 18, 2009
President Barack Obama greets other summit leaders prior to the official photo of the Heads of State of leaders from the
Americas at the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 18, 2009. Obama talked to
Haiti's President Rene Preval, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, and El Salvador's President Tony Saca.

April 18, 2009
President Barack Obama attends the First Plenary Session of the 5th Summit of the Americas with the leaders of over 30 other
North American, South American, Central American, and Caribbean countries on April 18, 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago. President Obama sat next to El Salvador's President Tony Saca, and met the President of Ecuador Rafael Correa. After
the session President Obama met and posed with summit guests including salsa music icon Ruben Blades.

April 18, 2009
President Barack Obama attends the UNASR countries meeting on April 18, 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. President
Obama sits next to Chilean President Bachelet. President Obama is given a book prior to the start of the meeting by Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez. The book written in Spanish is titled The Open Veins of Latin America written by Uruguayan Eduardo
Galeano. After President Obama received the book from President Chavez Amazon reported that sales skyrocketed taking the
book from 60,000 to a top ten position on the Amazon best-seller book list. The book recalls the historic reasons for the the rocky
relations between United States and Latin American countries. Later the session leaders met at a working lunch. President Obama
sat next to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who later showed the press a hand written given to him by President Obama.

April 18, 2009
President Barack Obama attends the Official Dinner of the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
President Obama sat next to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and the host country PM Patrick Manning of Trinidad and
Tobago. President Obama met the wife of the Belize PM Kim Simplis-Barrow and assisted her to her seat. President Obama
played the gentleman and also assisted Chile's President Bachelet to her seat.

April 19, 2009
President Barack Obama arrives in his presidential limo "The Beast" to attend a multilateral meeting of Central American leaders
at the Diplomatic Center in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 19, 2009. President Obama, with Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton sitting behind him, sat next to Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega.

April 19, 2009
President Barack Obama says good bye to his fellow heads of state at the group photo session at the conclusion of the 5th
Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 19, 2009. President Obama's openness and commitment
to a positive renewal of United States and Latin American relations was well received according to most attendees.

April 19, 2009
President Obama speaks at a news conference on the rooftop of his hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 19, 2009.
President Obama downplayed the significance of a brief handshake and book exchange with Venezuela's President Chavez.

GO TO SPECIAL SECTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO April 17-19, 2009
Complete Archives of President Obama's Visit to Port of Spain for the Summit of the Americas
Headlines, News, Photos, Images, Videos, and Speeches

April 21, 2009
US President Barack Obama meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House. The two leaders speak to the media
on April 21, 2009 from the Oval Office of the White House.

April 21, 2009
President Barack Obama walks King Abdullah II of Jordan to his limousine after meetings in the White House. King Abdullah
later joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a working lunch at the State Department in Washington on April 21, 2009.

April 25, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a surprise visit to Baghdad, Iraq on April 25, 2009. Secretary Clinton was met by US
Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill and later met and held a news conference with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.
Clinton also met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki. Secretary Hillary Clinton spoke to Iraqi citizens
and US Embassy staff in Baghdad before leaving Iraq. Clinton said that despite the recent suicide bombings and the planned
US troop withdrawals from Iraq the US will continue to assist with the security of Iraq.