Gumleaf
February 1st, 2010, 03:24 PM
05:45 AEST Tue Feb 2 2010
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/1006792/obama-to-travel-to-australia-in-march
US President Barack Obama will travel with his family to his childhood home of Indonesia and go on to Australia in the second half of March, the White House announced on Monday.
"This trip is an important part of the president's continuing effort to broaden and strengthen the partnerships that are necessary to advance our security and prosperity," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Obama spent part of his childhood in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in the late 1960s, after his divorced mother married an Indonesian.
The childhood connection and his knowledge of a few words of the Indonesian language have made him hugely popular in the country of 234 million people, 90 per cent of whom are Muslim.
Gibbs said that Obama looked forward to discussing issues including green energy, climate change, economic recovery and non-proliferation with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
En route to Asia, Obama will meet US troops stationed in Guam, Gibbs said.
© AFP 2010
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/1006792/obama-to-travel-to-australia-in-march
US President Barack Obama will travel with his family to his childhood home of Indonesia and go on to Australia in the second half of March, the White House announced on Monday.
"This trip is an important part of the president's continuing effort to broaden and strengthen the partnerships that are necessary to advance our security and prosperity," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Obama spent part of his childhood in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in the late 1960s, after his divorced mother married an Indonesian.
The childhood connection and his knowledge of a few words of the Indonesian language have made him hugely popular in the country of 234 million people, 90 per cent of whom are Muslim.
Gibbs said that Obama looked forward to discussing issues including green energy, climate change, economic recovery and non-proliferation with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
En route to Asia, Obama will meet US troops stationed in Guam, Gibbs said.
© AFP 2010