Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

February 4, 2009

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

Mr. Gibbs: Good afternoon. Let me start by giving you guys just a quick readout from the President's meeting this morning with Secretary Clinton and with Senator Mitchell.

The President had a good meeting with Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell late this morning. Senator Mitchell gave an initial readout of his trip to the region, which included stops in Cairo, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Amman, Riyadh, Paris and London. He's now developing a specific set of next steps and the President looks forward to hearing more about that.

And as Senator Mitchell said yesterday, he remains convinced that patience and persistent American diplomacy can help advance the ball on these efforts. The President shares that view and looks forward to continuing to work closely with Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell.