Date : 28/10/2010
WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (KUNA) -- During his visit to Indonesia next month,
President Barack Obama will give a speech that will include themes of
democracy and development, and U.S. outreach to Muslim communities around the
world, said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic
communications, on Thursday.
At a White House briefing to preview Obama's Asian travels, Rhodes said the
President would arrive in Indonesia from India on Nov. 9.
In his speech to the Indonesian people the following day, Obama will also
speak about pluralism and tolerance in Indonesia, which, while the world's
largest Muslim-majority country, is "host to a broad religious diversity,"
Rhodes said.
Indonesia, where Obama lived while growing up, is an emerging economy and
member of the G-20 nations, Rhodes noted.
"We have a growing economic relationship with Indonesia," he said, noting
that the country is an emerging democracy.
"So we see in Indonesia the intersection of a lot of key American
interests, and we see this partnership that is very important to the future
of American interests in Asia and the world," he added.
Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Nov. 9.
The next day, Obama will visit the Istiqlal Mosque, which is the largest
mosque in Indonesia, then give his speech afterward.
Obama will then visit South Korea and Japan for more high-level bilateral
talks, including G-20 sessions in Seoul where the President will also meet
with President Hu Jintao of China.
In Japan, Obama plans bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Naoto Kan
of Japan, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev.
Obama and Medvedev plan to discuss recent progress in terms of U.S. support
for Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization, as well as "our ongoing
cooperation on issues like nonproliferation, nuclear security and other
security issues," Rhodes said. (end).
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