Remarks by President Obama and Premier Wen Jiabao Before Bilateral Meeting

Peace Palace
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

11:40 A.M. ICT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it’s good to see Premier Wen again.  We last met at the East Asia Summit in Bali a year ago.

It’s very important that we use multilateral meetings like the EAS to discuss shared regional and global challenges, and I’m committed to working with China and I’m committed to working with Asia.  It’s important that our two countries cooperate to build a more secure and prosperous future for the Asia Pacific region and for the world.

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Noda of Japan Before Bilateral Meeting

Peace Palace

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

10:50 A.M. ICT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I want to say how wonderful it is to see Prime Minister Noda again.  He very graciously called me shortly after the election.  And this becomes yet another opportunity for us to reaffirm the extraordinary alliance between our two countries.

That alliance between the United States and Japan has been a cornerstone of prosperity and security in the region, and we are going to have the opportunity to further discuss steps that we’re taking to renew that vision and that alliance for the 21st century.

Remarks by the First Lady at the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards

East Room

2:40 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thanks so much.  Well, good afternoon.

AUDIENCE:  Good afternoon.

MRS. OBAMA:  And welcome to the White House.  It’s good to have you here.  I am thrilled that all of you are here joining us today.

I want to start by thanking the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and all their work for sponsoring these awards each year.  They’ve just done an amazing job.  And I’d like to ask all of the members of the committee to please stand so that we can recognize you for all of your hard work.  (Applause.)  It’s a pretty impressive group.

I also want to specifically acknowledge -- I’m off my game.  (Laughter.)  I haven’t been -- I’ve been speaking a lot, and then sort of took a little time off -- but our committee co-chairs George Stevens and Margo Lion for all of their hard work.  Thank you both.  (Applause.)  And we also have Jim Leach, Rocco Landesman, Susan Hildreth, Mary Schmidt Campbell; we have Minister Deng who is here, and our youth program speaker, Starr Arroyo who’s going to -- you’ll hear from Starr.  (Applause.)

And I also want to thank Congressman Platts for joining us today.  Where’s the Congressman?  There you are.  I walked right past you.  Thank you so much for being here today.  (Applause.)

And finally, I want to thank all of the educators, the artists, leaders, all of you who are working every day in communities all across this country to run the programs that we are going to recognize here today.

And every day, you all are doing the hard work.  You are pushing and inspiring our kids.  You’re revealing their boundless promise, and teaching them to believe in themselves.  Because of the programs that you all run, young people are learning breakdancing, hip hop, African drumming -- a lot of stuff going on, right? -- a little traditional music.  They’re putting on plays, publishing poems and articles, and working on  museum exhibits.  They’re becoming historians, designers and champion debaters.  Yes.  (Laughter.)

Remarks by President Obama at the University of Yangon

Rangoon, Burma

2:39 P.M. MMT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Myanmar Naingan, Mingalaba!  (Laughter and applause.)  I am very honored to be here at this university and to be the first President of the United States of America to visit your country.

I came here because of the importance of your country.  You live at the crossroads of East and South Asia.  You border the most populated nations on the planet.  You have a history that reaches back thousands of years, and the ability to help determine the destiny of the fastest growing region of the world.

I came here because of the beauty and diversity of your country.  I have seen just earlier today the golden stupa of Shwedagon, and have been moved by the timeless idea of metta -- the belief that our time on this Earth can be defined by tolerance and by love.  And I know this land reaches from the crowded neighborhoods of this old city to the homes of more than 60,000 villages; from the peaks of the Himalayas, the forests of Karen State, to the banks of the Irrawady River.

I came here because of my respect for this university.  It was here at this school where opposition to colonial rule first took hold.  It was here that Aung San edited a magazine before leading an independence movement.  It was here that U Thant learned the ways of the world before guiding it at the United Nations.  Here, scholarship thrived during the last century and students demanded their basic human rights.  Now, your Parliament has at last passed a resolution to revitalize this university and it must reclaim its greatness, because the future of this country will be determined by the education of its youth.

I came here because of the history between our two countries.  A century ago, American traders, merchants and missionaries came here to build bonds of faith and commerce and friendship.  And from within these borders in World War II, our pilots flew into China and many of our troops gave their lives.  Both of our nations emerged from the British Empire, and the United States was among the first countries to recognize an independent Union of Burma.  We were proud to found an American Center in Rangoon and to build exchanges with schools like this one.  And through decades of differences, Americans have been united in their affection for this country and its people.

Remarks by President Obama and President Thein Sein of Burma After Bilateral Meeting

Parliament Building
Rangoon, Burma

11:12 A.M. MMT

PRESIDENT SEIN:  (As interpreted.)  First of all, the entire people of Myanmar, including myself, join me in welcoming here Excellencies -- Mr. President, the first ever visit of a U.S. President to Myanmar.  And it is in Myanmar -- our bilateral relationship.

In fact, Myanmar established diplomatic relations with the United States since -- in the year 1947, a year before our -- the year before our independence.  The United States was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Myanmar, and our countries have long history and have maintained friendly relations.

For the first 20 years, there were some difficulties and obstacles in our bilateral relations.  But, however, when President Obama took office in the United States, and because of the visions -- a reengagement policy of the President as well as the efforts of the Secretary of State and the contributions of the ambassadors -- our bilateral relations have been progressing steadily.  And then, in this regard, I would like to reiterate our commitment to continue cooperation to strengthen our bilateral relations in the years to come.

In this regard, we would like to reiterate that based on mutual respect, understanding and cooperation, we will move forward to further strengthen and promote our bilateral relations with the United States.

Remarks by President Obama and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi Residence
Rangoon, Burma

1:05 P.M. MMT

DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI:  I would like to say how happy I am to receive President Obama in my country and in my house.  The friendship between our two countries is of long standing.  The United States has been staunch in its support of the democracy movement in Burma, and we are confident that this support will continue through the difficult years that lie ahead.  I say difficult because the most difficult time in any transition is when we think that success is in sight.  Then we have to be very careful that we are not lured by a mirage of success and that we are working to a genuine success for our people and for the friendship between our two countries.

I believe that we have been able to discuss our various concerns openly, and that as a result of the President’s visit to this country, the relations between our countries can only progress in the right direction.

I intend fully to keep in touch with the United States government as far as possible, and to make sure that we always liaise one another on the most important matters.