Obama heads to Russia, G8, Ghana

Jul 6, 2009, 1:52 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama took off for Russia late Sunday on a trip that takes him to Italy for the G8 meetings on Wednesday and a stop Saturday in Ghana.

In Moscow, Obama is seeking to 'reset' relations by finding cooperation on a number of challenges, including confronting Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions.

Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are to discuss replacement of a nuclear arms-control agreement that expires in December. Both leaders have expressed hope that they can move beyond the strained ties of the past.

Senior officials on both sides told The New York Times on Friday that Russia plans to announce it will grant permission for US troops and weapons to be flown over its territory on the way to Afghanistan. Until now, only rail transport carrying non lethal goods has been allowed.

At Obama's first G8 meeting in L'Aquila, Italy, the agenda includes the global recession, global warming and the situations in Iran and the Middle East.

Russia has been the only G8 country to acknowledge Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the clear victor in June's disputed elections.

The G8 summit comes ahead of the larger Group of 20 nations planning to meet in September in the US city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to discuss the global economic downturn. Obama has been at odds with his European counterparts, who want to see more regulation of US financial markets.

In Ghana, Obama plans outline of his Africa policy in a speech during his first visit as president to the continent. Obama has in years past visited Kenya, the homeland of his late father.