Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

Highlights from a conference call with administration officials prior to this week’s Nuclear Security Summit:

-The president is engaged in a series of bilateral meetings with various heads of states in the lead up to the summit. At the completion of the summit, the president will have met with top representatives from Turkey (Just announced today), Jordan, India, Pakistan, Germany etc.

-While the meetings are focused on nuclear security and preventing nuclear terrorism, Obama will also use them to discuss other key issues. For example, he will discuss the Middle-East peace process with King Abdullah of Jordan and the regional concerns (Afghanistan, Iran) with the Turkish PM.

-Obama discussed the situation in Kyrgyszstan with Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev. “They talked about ways we are reaching out to the new interim government,” said Mike McFaul, the administration’s Senior Director for Russia and the Caucasus.

-The U.S. will tout significant arms reduction achievements in South Africa and Kazakhstan and use the two nations as examples.

-A question was asked about how the U.S. would handle a move from Turkey or Egypt to make an issue out of Israel’s alleged nuclear arsenal. Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, side-stepped this. Said that the focus of the summit is on preventing nuclear terrorism and providing security.

-In recognition of the death of the Polish President and other prominent Polish officials, there will be a moment of silence at the summit. According to Rhodes, Obama sent a wreath to the embassy today and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and homeland security adviser John Brennan payed calls there as well.