White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced on Friday the president’s decision to postpone his state visit to the two countries and the U.S. territory of Guam where he was supposed to hold a brief talk with the American troops and some community members.
Gibbs said Obama personally spoke with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to inform them about his change of plans
“President Obama expressed his deep regret that he has to postpone his trip to Asia that was scheduled for later this month. The president looked forward to rescheduling so that he can visit both countries soon,” Gibbs said in a statement that the White House shared with the local media.
Obama will meet with the leaders of Indonesia and Australia during the two-day G-20 Summit scheduled for June 26-27 in Toronto, Canada.
“President Obama underscored his commitment to our close alliance with Australia and our deepening partnership with Indonesia. He plans to hold full bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Rudd and President Yudhoyono on the margins of the G-20 meeting in Canada,” said Gibbs.
The U.S. presidents who had visited Guam included Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton.
In 1952, then President-elect Dwight Eisenhower visited the island while en route to Korea.
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