AlHijjah 23, 1432, Nov 19, 2011, SPA - U.S. President Barack Obama met Friday with his Indonesian counterpart in Bali as he prepares to conclude an eight-day trip to the Asia-Pacific region. The meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono came ahead of Obama's participation in the East Asia Summit, a first for a U.S. president, according to the White House. Obama is expected to meet Saturday with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra before the East Asia Summit session, after which he will depart for home, CNN reported. As part of their talks Friday, Yudhoyono and Obama announced a $600 million deal through the Millennium Challenge Corporation "to support environmentally sustainable economic development through clean energy projects and sustainable landscapes projects, community-based nutrition programs, and procurement modernization," according to the White House. Earlier Friday, Obama took part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic summit and hailed an airplane sales deal between Boeing and an Indonesian airline. Obama held bilateral talks with India, the Philippines and Malaysia before the ASEAN meeting.
