Denver, Colorado - Former president Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that if Barack Obama were elected president, he could improve the US image overseas "in 10 minutes" with a strong inaugural speech, according to a broadcast interview with Voice of America.

Carter is in the Rocky Mountain state attending the Democratic presidential convention. He put in a cameo appearance along with wife Rosyln before delegates at the Pepsi Center Monday evening, but did not speak.

Obama was formally nominated by delegates Wednesday evening as the centre-left party's presidential candidate. He will face presumptive Republican candidate Senator John McCain, whose nominating convention is next week, in November 4 general elections.

Carter, president from 1977-1981, told VOA that Obama's brief inaugural speech could start correcting perceptions of the United States overseas that have been damaged during eight years of the Republican presidency.

Obama could pledge that as US president the country "will never torture another prisoner (or) go to war against another country unless our own security is directly threatened," Carter suggested.

His Carter Center works internationally to promote human rights and health care.

Carter lost his 1980 bid for a second term to Republican Ronald Reagan.

He drew parallels to conditions before his 1976 election and those today: Energy insecurity, rising inflation and dissatisfaction with a Republican administration.

"The difference between me and Obama is that I didn't have any money," he quipped.

Obama's campaign has raised 389 million dollars since the start last year - one of the largest amounts in history for a presidential campaign. Senator Hillary Clinton, who threw her support solidly behind Obama this week, raised 234 million in her failed bid for the nomination. (dpa)