During Upcoming Foreign Trip, Obama Will Try Not To Play The Part of The President

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(CHICAGO) Barack Obama's senior foreign policy advisers spoke to reporters for the first time this afternoon about his upcoming trip to Europe and the Middle East. Advisers Susan Rice and Denis McDonough outlined broad goals for the trip, which is largely intended to focus on national security.

Rice said Obama will meet with world leaders to exchange views and listen, rather than negotiating new policy.

“There’s one president of the United States at any given time and we will honor and respect that,” Rice said firmly.

Although the campaign maintains Obama will not be playing the part of President when he is abroad, he will be meeting with high-level officials on each of his stops throughout Europe and the Middle East.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and King Abdullah are all scheduled to meet with the presumptive nominee.

No meetings are planned with Iranian or Syrian officials.

McDonough said that Obama spoke to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice weeks ago about the trip and described their conversation as “productive.” The campaign has been working with ambassadors in each country as well.

Questions about the location of Obama’s much anticipated speech in Berlin still remain unanswered. McDonough said Obama did not want to speak at the Brandenburg Gate because he believes it would be too presumptuous. Both John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan spoke at Brandenburg Gate during their presidencies.

The campaign is still looking for a location in Berlin and would not confirm or deny reports that he will speak at Berlin’s Victory Column. The speech in Germany will underscore the “shared values and goals” between the United States and Europe, the campaign said.