US President Barack Obama has an incredible opportunity to impact Middle East relationships more profoundly than any of his predecessors, according to Morris Reid, Managing Director, BGR Group, a bipartisan government relations, strategic communications and investment banking firm.
Reid’s remarks came during a talk organized by the Dubai School of Government on President Obama’s effectiveness first year in office as the US President. The lecture was attended by scholars, students and other specially invited dignitaries.
Reid added: "President Obama, who was sworn into office on January 20, 2009, spent his first year in office deeply involved in several foreign policy issues, while simultaneously trying to manage his government’s ambitious domestic agenda. This has been a significant challenge for the Obama Administration."
Speaking about President Obama’s ability to balance crucial issues and make a real difference in diplomatic relations between America and the Middle East, Morris Reid said: "President Obama has engaged the Muslim world, and by and large it has responded positively. Now it’s time to capitalize on that momentum. However, he cannot do it alone; you need exchange programs and you need to foster opportunities. The more people get to deal with each other, the more they will relate to one another. A better understanding of either perspective is the key to improving relations."
Reid also spoke about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s support for President Obama and their expectations in return, the role of the private sector, the challenge of partisanship issues, the war in Afghanistan, and the impact of mid-term elections.
Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, said: "Today’s lecture, delivered by an experienced professional who has an insider’s knowledge of Washington’s corridors of power, has offered us an incisive view of the workings of the Oval Office. There are many goals that the Obama administration has set out to achieve, under the pressure of great expectations from throughout the world. We are thankful to Morris Reid for this insightful discussion, which shed light on various facets of the challenges that President Obama faces over the coming months."
Morris Reid has worked with high-profile individuals, government officials and corporate executives in the successful resolution of complex and high-level political and corporate issues for more than 15 years. As the Managing Director of BGR Group, Morris has consulted and provided counsel to the leaders of hundreds of Fortune 500 companies. He also served as a Clinton administration senior staffer, as an aide to the late Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown and Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo. Additionally, Morris was the Director of Vice-President Al Gore's office at the 1996 Democratic Convention and Deputy-Director of Vice Presidential Operations for Clinton/Gore '96.
Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Harvard Kennedy School, the Dubai School of Government is committed to the creation of knowledge and the dissemination of global best practices in the Arab world. The institution conducts various programs that seek to enhance the region’s capacity for effective public policy. |