While numerous factors contributed to the United States' rise to the top spot in the annual Country Brand Index survey for the first time ever, the most significant factor is the man in the White House: President Barack Obama.

Anti-Armenian statements have been ascribed to a Polish politician in Azerbaijan.

For his contributions to global peace and international cooperation Dr. Henry Kissinger is being decorated as the first awardee of the Ewald von Kleist Award of the Munich Security Conference 2009.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton name special envoys to Afghanistan, Pakistan,and the Middle East at the U.S. Department of State.

Seven years ago, a group of mostly Saudi terrorists hijacked airliners and flew them into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Now, Saudi King Abdullah has flown to New York to urge world leaders at the UN to find ways of bridging the divide between Islam and the West.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called for a halt to rocket attacks on Israeli cities and a revival of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Leading Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has said he would offer Iran economic inducements and a possible promise not to seek "regime change" if it stopped meddling in Iraq and cooperated on terrorism and nuclear issues.

Unofficial diplomatic discussions can play a significant role in shaping attitudes in the Middle East and Asia, but are best used as a long-term strategy without expectations for dramatic policy shifts, according to a report issued by the RAND Corporation.

The Uzbek authorities are looking into how to improve conditions for foreign investors so as to reverse the downward investment trend, but NBCentralAsia observers say increasing political interference in business has tainted its reputation.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Sheikh Mohammed Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Sheikh Haled Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa paid an official visit to Uzbekistan.

Evaluating the current state of Uzbek-Indonesian affairs, which aspects would You highlight as the most fruitful since 1994, when the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia started operating in Tashkent? How are these dimensions being developed between Indonesia and Uzbekistan?

Dr Hans Blix - Swedish diplomat, international human rights lawyer, weapons inspector and disarmament campaigner - is the Sydney Peace Prize jury's unanimous choice as recipient of the 2007 Sydney Peace Prize.