White House Spokesman Gibbs: Obama May Meet With BP Chairman

10th Jun 2010 19:23

By Josh Mitchell Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--President Barack Obama is open to meeting with BP PLC's (BP, BP.LN) chairman in coming weeks as the company works to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and reassure investors, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday. Gibbs, speaking in the daily White House press briefing, said the president currently isn't considering a meeting with BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward. Asked repeatedly why Obama wouldn't meet face to face with Hayward and other executives in charge of the company's daily operations, Gibbs said BP is structured in a way that the chairman and board are the relevant parties. He said a meeting between the president and BP's chairman is possible. "I wouldn't rule it out," Gibbs said. Asked whether the White House was concerned about the plunge in BP's stock price Wednesday, which came amid increasingly tough language from the White House about BP's obligations in the oil disaster, Gibbs said he wouldn't address the company's shareholder obligations. He said the focus should be on the ability of BP to cover its obligations in the oil spill. -By Josh Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637; [email protected]. (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 10, 2010 14:23 ET (18:23 GMT)