President Barack Obama chose an Arabic satellite TV network for his first formal TV interview as president, "part of a concerted effort to repair relations with the Muslim world that were damaged under the previous administration," the Associated Press reports.

"The interview on the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel aired as Obama's new envoy to the region, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for a visit that will also take him to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia," the AP said.

Obama "cited his Muslim background and relatives, practically a taboo issue during the U.S. presidential campaign, and said in the interview, which aired Tuesday, that one of his main tasks was to communicate to Muslims 'that the Americans are not your enemy.' "

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