"Security is important, but I want to make sure that we are interacting with a wide range of people on a wide range of issues. And I think by broadening the relationship, that strengthens it, it builds trust, creates more people-to-people contact. That will be good for our security, but it will also be good for the larger cause of understanding between the United States and the Muslim world."
Mr Obama also announced a wide-ranging partnership with Indonesia.
The latest round of talks aimed at breaking the deadlock in Iraqi politics has ended inconclusively. Negotiations are due to continue on Wednesday. Talks on forming a new government have been deadlocked since parliamentary elections in March.
Russia's parliament is to consider toughening punishments for attacks on journalists after two were badly beaten in recent days. MPs will debate a bill that would impose a sentence of up to 20 years for causing serious harm to journalists, the same as for state officials. The authorities in Moscow are allowing a rare public demonstration on Thursday in support of one of the journalists. But human rights groups say Russia is not doing enough to protect journalists. A newspaper editor crippled by an attack two years ago went to court on Tuesday accused of libel.
BBC News
对四月份墨西哥湾巨大的漏油事件进行调查的美国政府委员会表示,与此事有关的三家主要公司均犯下重大错误,导致这场历史性的灾难。该委员会联合主席威廉·雷利(William Reilly)表示,这三大公司——BP,跨洋公司和哈里伯顿公司的企业文化都崇尚自满,而不是安全。这是该调查小组追溯到一月份进行调查的听证会的最后一天。Paul Adams在华盛顿报道。