No Putin-Obama meeting at APEC summit in Indonesia

US President Barack Obama has cancelled his trip to the upcoming Indonesian summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Organization due to financial constraints caused by a US government shutdown, White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement on Friday.

“The President made this decision based on the difficulty in moving forward with foreign travel in the face of a shutdown,” said Jay Carney in a statement, “and his determination to continue pressing his case that Republicans should immediately allow a vote to reopen the government, Carney said.

Obama called Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Blokiah and expressed regret at not being able to visit their countries.

Earlier, it was reported the Obama cancelled visits to Malaysia and the Philippines as part of his planned Southeast Asian tour,according to Voice of Russia.

R.S