Obama Hosts Muslim Entrepreneurs

April 26, 2010

Author: Andrew Beatty

Source: Yahoo News

Wire Service: AFP

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100426/pl_afp/uspoliticsobamaislamtrade

US President Barack Obama laid a key plank of his strategy to mend ties with the Islamic world on Monday hosting a summit to boost economic development in Muslim nations.

In a step the White House hopes will help shift relations beyond decades of talk about terrorism and conflict, Obama brought entrepreneurs from 50 countries to Washington for two days to spur economic ties.

The president pledged to host the meeting in a landmark speech in Cairo last June, when he also called for a "new beginning" to relations between the United States and the Muslim world.

Opening the meeting, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said boosting Muslim business not only would help the Islamic world, but would also help US security and trade.