Obama to meet Nordic leaders in September

[August 15, 2013]  STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Sweden's prime minister says that President Barack Obama will meet with Nordic leaders in Stockholm next month en route to the Group of 20 economic summit in Russia.

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told reporters on Thursday that he will host discussions with Obama on Sept. 4, followed by a joint meeting with the prime ministers of neighboring Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto also will attend, his office said.

The announcement of the Stockholm visit comes in the wake of Obama's cancellation of plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The diplomatic snub came in response to Russia's decision to grant temporary asylum to Edward Snowden, who leaked highly secretive details about National Security Agency surveillance programs.

[Associated Press]

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