U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for “a new era of engagement” with the world, vowing to work with other countries while defending the interests of the United States. “The time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect,” Obama said in his first address to the annual U.N. General Assembly. “Our work must begin now.” Obama said he will never apologize for defending U.S. interests. But he sought to dispel discontent at perceived U.S. unilateralism that had become what he called “an almost reflexive anti-Americanism” that has swept the world and too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction. To do so, Obama offered several policy changes and actions his administration had undertaken during his first nine months in office, with the principal message that the United States has no interest in a unilateral stance and instead wants to act as an equal partner with other countries. “In an era where our destiny is shared, power is no longer a zero-sum game,” the U.S. president said. “No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. That is the future America wants.”
