Obama avoiding talks on foreign policy including Gaza

US President-elect Barack Obama avoided talks on foreign policy in particular on Gaza conflict by stating that he was adhering to the "principle of one President" at a time.

"I will continue to insist that when it comes to foreign affairs, it is particularly important to adhere to the principle of one President at a time, because there are delicate negotiations taking place right now, and we can't have two voices coming out of the United States when you have so much at stake," Obama told reporters yesterday when asked about the escalating tension in Gaza.

On the first working day in Washington after arriving from Chicago a day earlier, Obama had at least four media availability and every time reporters were keen to ask the President-elect the question on the most burning international issues.

"With the situation in Gaza, I've been getting briefed every day. I've had consistent conversations with members of the current administration about what's taking place. That will continue,"  Obama said. But, he refrained from giving his views on the issue.

"I strongly believe that a president or a president-elect or his team should be able to do more than one thing at a time. And so, obviously, international affairs are of deep concern," Obama said without elaborating further.