Tight schedule awaits Peres in US

Obama, Clinton and Biden only some of American administration officials expected to meet with Israeli president during his four-day visit. Itinerary also includes TV interviews, meetings with UN officials and Jewish leaders in New York

Yitzhak Benhorin|Published: 04.03.11 , 08:43

WASHINGTON – A particularly tight schedule is awaiting President Shimon Peres, who is leaving Sunday on a four-day visit to the United States.

His first meeting, on Monday, will be with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The next day, Peres will hold a work meeting with President Barack Obama and have lunch with him.

According to a statement issued by the White House, the two presidents will discuss the security cooperation between Israel and the US, the recent developments in the Arab world and the efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Obama and Peres. To meet for lunch (Photo: Yona Bartal)

Peres is also expected to meet with US Vice President Joe Biden. On Wednesday he will visit the Congress, where he is scheduled to meet with House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and other officials.

PR and diplomacy

Apart from meetings with administration officials, Peres is expected to put many efforts in the PR and diplomacy area. On Thursday, he will meet in New York with ambassadors of the UN Security Council members. He will later meet with leaders of the Jewish community.

The president will also find the time to give interviews to American and foreign media outlets in a bid to present Israel's stances, and will also hold a press briefing for senior commentators and editors.

One of the main public appearances will be a "one-on-one" interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. The interview will take place during an event at the United States Institute of Peace, which will be attended by some 200 senior administration officials, Congress members, senators, media representatives and policy researchers from Washington's main research institutes.

During his visit, Peres will stay at Blair House, the US president's official guesthouse in Washington.