APEC 2013 in Bali Indonesia

APEC 2013 in Bali Indonesia Background President Obama was very much looking forward to returning to his boyhood country of Indonesia for the 2013 APEC Summit. He moved there when he was just seven years old and lived there for four years. While in Indonesia, he attended school, made many friends, and enjoyed the local cuisine. President Obama is publicly adored by many there. Sadly, the President had to skip the APEC Summit for a second year in a row. His absence this time was due to the U.S. Government shutdown. Luckily, Secretary of State John Kerry just happened to be in the area already, so he was able to attend instead.

APEC Bali Costumes Everyone knows that without the traditional costumes, the annual APEC Summit would be widely ignored by the world press. While it was hard to top the APEC costumes from Hawaii in 2011 and Vladivostok in 2012, the White House cheers the bold choice made this year by the Indonesian APEC costume selection committee. Welcome Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto Congratulations on your presidential campaign victory and welcome to this year's APEC Summit. We look forward to working with you very, very closely.