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Summit ending on hopeful note for President Obama

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-19 20:06

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – A Western Hemisphere summit was wrapping up on Sunday with President Barack Obama hopeful he'd boosted the image of the US among its friends in the region and perhaps even made some new ones.

President Barack Obama is surrounded by leaders of the Americas during the official photo at the Summit of the Americas on Saturday, April 18, 2009 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. [Agencies]

"There is great hope that with all the outreach ... we are indeed starting new relationships," said Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough.

Obama was to meet with Central American leaders before the final working session of the Summit of the Americas here in the two-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. He was also scheduled to hold a news conference before returning home to Washington.

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Among those seemingly charmed by the president's promise of a new, more equal partnership was Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, the fiery leftist who famously likened former President George W. Bush to the devil.

After several friendly encounters with Obama, Chavez approached Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton about restoring normal diplomatic ties, officials said. The two countries expelled each others' envoys last September.

"I think President Obama is an intelligent man, compared to the previous US president," Chavez told reporters.

As the 34-nation summit drew to a close, the White House called it a productive one.