Arroyo to meet Obama in US prayer breakfast?

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will make a side trip to Washington DC from Bahrain on Thursday to attend the National Prayer Breakfast and possibly meet US President Barack Obama. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said President Arroyo has formally accepted the invitation of a group of US lawmakers to attend the annual breakfast forum. Remonde said talks between the event's organizers and the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department have been ongoing since October last year. He said there were backchannel talks first before the formal invitation was extended last Jan. 31, 2009. “This is a signal, honor and recognition that the US and international community are acknowledging the leadership of President Arroyo,” Remonde said Tuesday. The National Prayer Breakfast is held every first Thursday of February and was founded by Frank Carlson, a former US congressman, along with the Hiltons of the Hilton International chain, and Billy Graham. On whether President Arroyo would finally be face-to-face with Obama, Remonde said nothing is certain yet even as he clarified that meeting the newly elected US president is not President Arroyo’s agenda in attending the event. “We cannot say that for now because he (Obama) is also invited to the prayer breakfast as guest speaker. We will take that as it happens. She's going there for a prayer meeting, there is no such thing as a business agenda,” Remonde said. Remonde said President Arroyo would stay in the US overnight and is expected to be back in Manila on Saturday. - GMANews.TV