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Carney Dodges on Why No Meetings with Leaders for Obama

CBS: 'The president had 13 bilateral meetings with key foreign leaders during his U.N. visit'...So, what is different about last year and this year?'

September 24, 2012

White House press secretary dodged repeated questions Monday about President Obama's decision not to schedule any meetings with foreign leaders while at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"Jay, I'm guessing the reason you're getting so many questions about the absence of bilats is that last year, the president had 13 bilateral meetings with key foreign leaders during his U.N. visit," CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller said.  "And this year you can't tell us of any. So, what is different about last year and this year?"

Carney responded by discussing what the president will speak on tomorrow at the U.N., then addressed the question more directly.

"He will continue, as president, as he has these past several weeks, and he will going forward, his intensive consultations with leaders in the region over the current period of unrest in the Muslim world," Carney said.

"The fact of the matter is, the president does not wait for an annual meeting to have consultations and meetings with foreign leaders," he continued.

The president will arrive in New York this afternoon, where he and the first lady will tape an appearance on "The View," and then attend a U.N. reception for heads of state at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.