No Obama apology for CIA role in Chile

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama did not apologize for CIA involvement in Chilean elections, saying Tuesday he wanted to look ahead, not back.

"I'm interested in going forward, not looking backward," Obama said during a media opportunity with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in Washington. "I think that the United States has been an enormous force for good in the world."

While admitting "there have been times where we've made mistakes," Obama said it was important to look at U.S policies of today and "what my administration intends to do in cooperating with the region."

He said he didn't have a litmus test of where a country's government is on the political spectrum.

"My approach is if the United States is working together with a country to promote the well-being, the health, the education, the economic opportunities of people in both countries, then we're going to have a good relationship," Obama said.

Obama said he and Bachelet signed a partnership on clean energy and science.

"There is enormous interest, both in the United States and in Chile, on how we can develop solar power and wind power, biofuels and a whole host of other clean energy strategies that will make the people of both countries more prosperous and less dependent on imported energy needs," he said.

Bachelet said her country was "enthusiastic about clean energy as we share the idea that the crisis should be responded (to) -- (and) also trying to tackle with climate change issues."

She said the two have been exchanging ideas "on how we can also be part of the solution in the Latin American region to cope, to respond to this economic crisis ... ."