Obama Declines to Comment on France Mic Incident

US President Barack Obama has declined to comment on his overheard conversation in which his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy termed Israel's Premier as a "liar."

"With respect to the 'hot mic' in France, I'm not going to comment on conversations that I have with individual leaders," Obama said.

Unaware that journalists were listening to their private conversation, the French president told Barack Obama: "Netanyahu, I can't stand him. He's a liar." The US President replied: "You are sick of him, but I have to deal with him every day."

In the controversial conversation, revealed by a French blog, the US president also tried to sway France to avoid voting for Palestine to join the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

However, at a press conference in Hawaii after an Asia-Pacific summit on Sunday, the US President stressed that he had a "frank and firm" conversation with the French leader about France's vote to allow the Palestinians to join the UNESCO.

"I had consistently made the argument that the only way we're going to solve the Middle East situation is if Palestinians and "Israelis" sit down at the table and negotiate; that it is not going to work to try to do an end run through the United Nations."

Obama's statements were in reaction to the UNESCO's decision to accept Palestine as a full member of the UN General Assembly.

Source: Press TV