BRISBANE, Australia (AP) – President Barack Obama is closing out his weeklong trip through the Asia-Pacific region with a stop in Australia.
Obama’s plane touched down early Saturday at the Royal Australian Air Force’s largest base, Base Amberley. From there, Obama traveled to the home to Queensland’s state government, Parliament House in Brisbane. There Obama was attending a retreat and luncheon with fellow world leaders at the annual Group of 20 economic summit.
While in Australia, Obama was to give a speech at the University of Queensland about the status of his administration’s effort to engage more intensely in Asia. It’s a cornerstone of Obama’s foreign policy, but there are concerns that crises in other parts of the world have diverted Obama’s attention.
The president will also hold a three-way meeting with the leaders of Japan and Australia, plus take questions from reporters before heading back to Washington Sunday evening.
Obama’s visit to Australia follows earlier stops in China and Myanmar, where Obama pressed leaders to improve human rights and expand press freedoms.