President Barack Obama departs Trinidad and Tobago at Piarco International Airport after the signing of the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain. The President took a moment to greet onlookers before boarding Air Force One.

President Obama said the United States entered the fifth Summit of the Americas in equal partnership with the nations of the Western Hemisphere based on mutual respect, common interests and shared values, and leaves after three days of constructive talks with what he called a good first step.

“I do believe that the signals sent so far provide at least an opportunity for frank dialogue on a range of issues, including critical issues of democracy and human rights throughout the hemisphere,” Obama said at a news conference marking the end of the Summit of the Americas April 19. “The test for all of us is not simply words, but also deeds.”

The leaders of the Western Hemisphere agreed that the goals and hopes for the Americas depend on strong democracies, good governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The summit was held April 17–19 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, among the 34 democratically elected leaders of the Western Hemisphere. Cuba, while not invited to attend the conference, was nevertheless a subject discussed from the first moment it opened.

Obama, recognizing the demands for a change in U.S.-Cuban relations, called for “a new beginning with Cuba” in his opening remarks on April 17. “I know that there is a longer journey that must be traveled to overcome decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day.”

Cuban President Raúl Castro had said April 16 that he was prepared to discuss every issue and concern the United States has. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said April 17 that the United States welcomed Castro’s comments, but noted that words have to be met with deeds.

Obama said to the summit’s opening session that he was “not interested in talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction.”

The president has already changed one U.S. policy toward Cuba that he said had failed to advance liberty and opportunity for the Cuban people. The United States will allow Cuban Americans to visit their families in Cuba whenever they wish and send any amount of funds back to family in Cuba whenever needed. In addition, the United States will permit telecommunications companies to receive licenses to market cellular telephones and other devices in Cuba and allow Cuban Americans to pay for them for family members still in Cuba.

But the president said the Castro regime can take some immediate steps to improve the lives of Cubans by releasing political prisoners, offering greater freedoms to Cuban citizens, and by not imposing excessive fees on money sent by Cuban Americans to their families in Cuba.

NEW FINANCING OFFERED

Obama announced at the summit the creation of a new $100 million microfinance growth fund for the Western Hemisphere. The current economic crisis is having a significant impact on the availability of finance for small businesses that provide the majority of the jobs in the hemisphere, Obama said. It is a factor that jeopardizes recent gains in poverty reduction, he said.

The microfinance growth fund is being built on a partnership of the Multilateral Investment Fund at the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Inter-American Investment Corporation, Obama said.

The president also announced expanded support for the Inter-American Development Bank’s short-term crisis response through changes in lending limits and capital ratios, all with the objective of making more funds available to small and medium businesses that generally employ most workers in the hemisphere.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP

Obama asked the hemispheric leaders to participate in an Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, which would be a voluntary and flexible framework for advancing energy security among nations and thwarting climate change. The president also said he was asking U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to advance cooperation with his counterparts in June at the Americas Energy Symposium that will be held in Peru.

And the president pledged his commitment to working with hemispheric leaders toward a strong international climate agreement at the U.N. Climate Change Conference December 7–18 in Copenhagen. Obama also said he will work closely with Brazil, Canada and Mexico through the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.

What foreign affairs decisions should President Obama consider? Comment on America.gov's blog.