Tsvangirai and Obama exchanged gifts, according to Tsvangirai's website:
President Barack Obama has acknowledged Prime Minister Tsvangirai's non-violent fight for freedom in a profound way. In keeping with diplomatic etiquette where leaders exchange gifts as a sign of friendship and goodwill, protocol officers and security details of Prime Minister Tsvangirai and President Obama exchanged the two leaders’ gifts in a private ceremony at the Prime Minister's suite this afternoon.Tsvangirai also met with Hillary:
Prime Minister Tsvangirai presented Zimbabwean traditional sculpture and artefacts crafted by Victoria Falls sculptors for President Obama and a wrapper with a head and shoulders picture of his late wife Susan for Mrs Obama.
In return, President Obama presented a first edition copy of Stride Toward Freedom, a book written by American Civil Rights Leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To cap it all, the book was personally autographed by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. himself. The full title of the book is, A Leader of his People Tells The Montgomery Story, Stride Toward Freedom.
Mr. Tsvangirai in turn told reporters that he had told Mr. Obama that his country "is coming out of a political conflict and economic collapse...and that the new political dispensation we have crafted is an attempt to arrest this decay" through a transitional arrangement.
"We want to institute those reforms that will ensure that in 18 months time the people of Zimbabwe are given an opportunity to elect their own government," Mr. Tsvangirai said.
On Thursday U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Mr. Tsvangirai that Washington will seek ways to “appropriately” support Harare. Also Thursday, he received expressions of support from the U.S. Congress for his efforts to restore democracy and rights.
A senate resolution passed on Tuesday said U.S. aid should be expanded in such a way as to channel resources to the non-governmental sector to pay the salaries of qualified people working in education, health care, water supply and sanitation in Zimbabwe. Read the whole thing at VOA
