16 seconds ago 2009-12-04T04:00:02-08:00
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama will have a bilateral meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, as well as with Asian leaders during his trip to Asia starting later this week, administration officials said on Monday.
The issues that will get the most attention on the trip include North Korea, Iran, the economy, climate change, energy, human rights, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said Jeffrey Bader, senior director for East Asian affairs on the National Security Council, during a news briefing in advance of the trip.
Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo on Friday, said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.
Obama leaves for Asia on Thursday, stopping on the way in Alaska, and returns to Washington on November 20.
Other bilaterals during the trip include a November 15 meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and separate bilateral meetings later the same day with Medvedev and with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The leaders will all be in Singapore for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group, or APEC.
On November 17, during the Chinese leg of his trip, Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. On November 18, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
In Seoul on November 19, Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, editing by Eric Beech)
