Washington, April 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) US President Barack Obama will discuss economic issues with US citizens during a special Facebook session to be held in late April for the first time, the White House said in a statement.

"On April 20th, President Obama heads to California to hold a very special facebook town hall about the economy," the statement said.

"The president will connect with Americans across the country to discuss the tough choices we must all make to put our economy on a more responsible fiscal path, while still investing in the innovation economy that makes America more competitive."

The event, hosted by Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, will be live streamed at both WhiteHouse.gov/live and facebook.com/WhiteHouse, the statement said.

Following up on the success he had using social media and the internet during his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama officially announced his intention to run in the 2012 elections via a website video Monday.

The two-minute video is featuring Americans talking about why they want Obama to be re-elected.

Obama previously held video conferences with US citizens through the White House website.