ID :
112532
Fri, 03/19/2010 - 13:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/112532
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US PRESIDENT SCRAPS HIS TRIP TO INDONESIA
New York, March 18 (ANTARA) - Amidst various preparations in Indonesia for the visit by US President Barack Obama, White House announced on Thursday that Obama has again scrapped his visit.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced that President Obama has called off his trip to Indonesia and Australia, because the US president deemed it necessary to stay in Washington to push for the passage of the health care legislation up for a vote later this weekend in the House.
According to The New York Times, Gibbs said Obama on Thursday called Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and that both governments understood the importance of the health care bill and the president`s desire to see it through.
"The president greatly regrets the delay. The passage of health insurance reform is of paramount importance and the president is determined to see this battle through," The New York Times quoted Gibbs as saying.
Earlier on Monday in Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said after a meeting with US deputy ambassador for Asia-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell that Obama would be in Indonesia from March 23 to 25.
But Gibbs said that President Obama`s departure date was being pushed back to sometime in June this year.
Meanwhile, Reuters said that owing to political pressure at home, President Barack Obama on Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia next week to stay in Washington for a final push for a U.S. health-care overhaul.
The agency said the rare cancellation of a presidential trip abroad underscored how Obama`s political challenges at home have begun complicating his life overseas, stirring debate on whether he may have to scale back some of his foreign policy goals.
Obama had intended to use the March 21-26 trip, his first foreign travel of the year, to deepen U.S. ties in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of rising Chinese influence there.
But his travel plans drew criticism from fellow Democrats worried he would be absent for Sunday`s vote on health-care, his top legislative priority and an issue expected to loom large in U.S. congressional elections in November.
Announcing that the overseas trip was off, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs made clear that Obama felt he had no other choice and said efforts were under way to reschedule the visits to Indonesia and Australia in June.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced that President Obama has called off his trip to Indonesia and Australia, because the US president deemed it necessary to stay in Washington to push for the passage of the health care legislation up for a vote later this weekend in the House.
According to The New York Times, Gibbs said Obama on Thursday called Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and that both governments understood the importance of the health care bill and the president`s desire to see it through.
"The president greatly regrets the delay. The passage of health insurance reform is of paramount importance and the president is determined to see this battle through," The New York Times quoted Gibbs as saying.
Earlier on Monday in Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said after a meeting with US deputy ambassador for Asia-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell that Obama would be in Indonesia from March 23 to 25.
But Gibbs said that President Obama`s departure date was being pushed back to sometime in June this year.
Meanwhile, Reuters said that owing to political pressure at home, President Barack Obama on Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia next week to stay in Washington for a final push for a U.S. health-care overhaul.
The agency said the rare cancellation of a presidential trip abroad underscored how Obama`s political challenges at home have begun complicating his life overseas, stirring debate on whether he may have to scale back some of his foreign policy goals.
Obama had intended to use the March 21-26 trip, his first foreign travel of the year, to deepen U.S. ties in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of rising Chinese influence there.
But his travel plans drew criticism from fellow Democrats worried he would be absent for Sunday`s vote on health-care, his top legislative priority and an issue expected to loom large in U.S. congressional elections in November.
Announcing that the overseas trip was off, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs made clear that Obama felt he had no other choice and said efforts were under way to reschedule the visits to Indonesia and Australia in June.
