In Asia, Obama, Medvedev See Nuke Pact Progress

(SINGAPORE) — President Barack Obama said Sunday the United States and Russia would have a replacement treaty on reducing nuclear arms ready for approval by year's end, an announcement designed as an upbeat ending to a summit with Asia-Pacific leaders.

While publicizing progress with Russia on arms control — part of Obama's agenda to advance nuclear disarmament — the president and other leaders bowed to the obvious on climate change. They discussed a compromise agreement for a 192-nation gathering next month in Copenhagen, indirectly admitting that the meeting would not produce a new global treaty to reduce the heat-trapping carbon emissions that are warming the planet. (See pictures of Obama's visit to Asia.)

Nearing the end of his two days in Singapore, Obama also attended a second summit with leaders of the 10 southeast Asian countries that make up the ASEAN group. Obama was the first U.S. president to sit in on the meetings, that included a senior leader of Myanmar — part of a shift in U.S. policy away from isolating the repressive Myanmar military government.

Afterward, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama told the gathering, Myanmar Gen. Thein Sein included, that his government must free long-detained democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

Obama "brought that up directly with that government," Gibbs said.

While Myanmar ranks high among nations that suppress human rights, a joint statement by the United States and the ASEAN group made no mention of Suu Kyi.

The whirlwind of summitry is part of Obama's first presidential trip to the region. Its emphasis on big issues like climate change, disarmament and the economic crisis is part of Obama's approach to persuade new emerging powers like China to share in the burden of managing global challenges.

Obama arrived in Shanghai on Sunday night, launching a three-day visit to an important global U.S. partner and his first travels ever in China. His schedule called for a state visit to Beijing hosted by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Obama is shifting relations to a more positive footing, away from disputes over human rights and the Chinese military buildup that have unsteadied ties. In Shanghai on Monday, Obama will address an audience of students from several universities and field questions from them and from submissions to the U.S. Embassy's Web site. (Read "Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China")

Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific summit of APEC nations to announced good progress in negotiations on an updated pact to replace the START nuclear arms agreement that expires on Dec. 5.

Sitting, gesturing and leaning toward his Russian counterpart, Obama said the pair discussed a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and described "excellent progress over the last several months."

"I'm confident that if we work hard and with a sense of urgency, we'll be able to get that done," Obama said, adding technical issues remain.

Medvedev said he hoped negotiators would "finalize the text of the document by December."

Obama wrapped his official schedule in Singapore late Sunday afternoon by meeting with Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of the world's largest Muslim nation and Obama's home as a boy. Obama said he was excited about the prospect of improving relations with Indonesia and repeated his plan to visit next year.

He said, however, the schedule would depend on his family; he wanted to plan a trip with his wife and daughters "so they can take a look at some of my old haunts."

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AP White House Correspondent Jennifer Loven and Associated Press writers Desmond Butler in Washington and Vijay Joshi in Singapore contributed to this report.

See pictures of eight months of Obama's diplomacy.

Read "For His Asia Trip, Obama Has a United Brain Trust"