Oval Office Chat Session: Obama, Abbas and Santos

Readout of the President's Call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas

President Obama called Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas this morning to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.  The President reaffirmed America’s commitment to Middle East Peace and to the overall objectives outlined by the Quartet.  

The President noted the positive efforts by King Abdullah of Jordan and his Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to advance dialogue between the parties.  The President also noted the need for all parties to reinforce the efforts that have brought an end to the recent fighting and thanked President Abbas for his contributions in that regard.  

The two leaders agreed on the necessity of the two-state solution, and President Obama noted that Jordan’s efforts to foster direct discussions between Israel and the Palestinians are an important contribution to the cause of peace.  

They also discussed the ongoing need to build trust between the parties and for all sides to refrain from provocative actions that make it more difficult to build such trust.  They agreed to remain in close contact about these important issues. 

Readout of the President’s Call with Colombian President Santos

Earlier today, President Obama spoke with President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia to discuss the April 14-15 Summit of the Americas to be held in Cartagena, Colombia.  President Obama praised President Santos for his work as Summit host and said that he looks forward to a productive visit to Cartagena.  

The Presidents reaffirmed the importance of focusing on the major issues facing the people of the Americas today during the Summit to build a future defined by increased security and broad economic growth throughout the hemisphere. 

President Obama also welcomed President Santos’s decision to seek emergency legislation intended to complete the necessary work to implement the United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement as soon as possible and underscored the importance of continued progress on implementation of the Colombian Action Plan Related to Labor Rights announced in the context of the meeting between the Presidents at the White House on April 7, 2011. 

Finally, the President thanked President Santos for his invitation to hold bilateral meetings following the conclusion of the Summit on Sunday, April 15, noting that he looks forward to the opportunity to discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues with President Santos.