The President-elect is an African-American Christian with a Muslim father who lived across many continents and came from humble beginnings. This sends a powerful message to the rest of the world about the need for diversity and building bridges, values that are at the core of any efforts to create a world at peace with itself. I am encouraged by President-elect Obama's statements about establishing a world free from nuclear weapons and about the importance of dialogue. I trust that the fog will be lifted on efforts for meaningful nuclear-arms-control measures. I also hope that conditions will be created soon for direct U.S.-Iran negotiations, which are key for durable peace and security in the Middle East.
—By Mohamed ElBaradei
Director General, IAEA