Obama to skip Indonesia

Oct 8, 2009
Obama to skip Indonesia

WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama's first Asian trip as president will include Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, but not Indonesia, where he spent four years of his life.

Mr Obama and his mother moved from Hawaii to Jakarta, Indonesia, when he was 6 years old. They left to return to the United States when he was 10.

In announcing Mr Obama's Asian itinerary on Wednesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Mr Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono talked about a presidential visit to the world's most populous Muslim nation during a brief meeting at last month's Group of 20 industrial and developing nations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

'They agreed on the importance of having a visit that would showcase the importance of growing US-Indonesian bilateral relations,' Mr Gibbs said.

In a speech in Washington last November, Dr Yudhoyono advocated a '21st century strategic partnership' between the two countries.

During Mr Obama's coming trip, the two presidents probably will meet in Singapore, Mr Obama's second stop. -- AP