Obama Seen Meeting with Foreign Leader, Content of Private One-on-One Discussions Kept Secret
Former President Barack Obama paid a visit to London on Monday where he met with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The two spent time together at Sunak’s private government residence on Downing Street, but the details of what exactly was discussed between the pair were not revealed.
According to the U.K.’s Guardian, Obama paid Sunak – the Conservative Party leader and prime minister since October 2022 – a “courtesy” visit while in town for work with his private foundation.
A representative for Sunak said Obama paid “an informal courtesy drop-in as part of his trip to London.”
“I think President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the prime minister was very happy to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation,” he said.
The Guardian reported Obama and Sunak met for about an hour. The meeting was deemed private and no images were released to the public.
The only topic of discussion between the two that was reported publicly was said to have been about the rise of artificial intelligence.
Upon exiting the meeting with Sunak, Obama was walking with Jane Hartley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K.
The former president was asked to weigh in on the situation of democracy in Russia by the British media but only said of the question, “I’m tempted.”
Former US president Barack Obama was seen leaving Downing Street after a ‘private meeting’ with Rishi Sunak.
Downing Street said the meeting was a “courtesy visit” while Mr Obama is in London for meetings to do with his foundation. https://t.co/XfOHtThHkz pic.twitter.com/SZvsyjTPFg
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 18, 2024
No other public comments from the 44th president were made.
According to The Guardian, Obama also met with British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer after his visit to Downing Street.
It was not clear what the pair discussed. It was also not clear early Tuesday how long Obama planned to remain in the U.K.
Obama had not visited the Downing Street residence he left office in January 2017.
As Politico Europe noted, on his last visit in April 2016, the then-president warned the British against supporting the exit from the European Union, known as “Brexit.”
Obama said at that time that the U.K. would go to “the back of the queue” when negotiating trade deals with the U.S. if the country’s voters approved a plan to leave the EU.
In apparent defiance of the warning, or indifference to it, British approved the Brexit plan in June 2016.
The margin of 52-48 surprised even the measure’s supporters, according to The New York Times.
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