WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is embarking on his next foreign mission.
He leaves late Sunday on a weeklong trip that takes him to Russia, Italy and Ghana. The mission is anchored around the G-8 economic summit in Rome. High on the agenda are international efforts to confront climate change.
Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle. While in Rome, Obama will visit the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Benedict. A church official says the two men are likely to emphasize points of agreement, including Middle East peace efforts.
Before returning to Washington next weekend, the president will pay a daylong visit to Ghana, his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president.
