Leaders from Group of 20 (G20) started their one-day private meeting on Thursday and the following are excerpts from what some of them said in the run-up to the summit.
-- Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on February 18: We are going to discuss how to address the globalisation avalanche which has led to the collapse of sacred icons and totems which had been enshrined and about which nobody could discuss or question without the risk of being considered a heretic.
-- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told BBC on March 29: Given that this is a global economic challenge, only the G20 has the global economic reach to provide the response necessary to begin to mend this global economic recession and to support the restoration of jobs around the world.
-- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on March 24 in the European Parliament: Starting at our debate today as we prepare for the London summit next week, I propose that we as Europe take a central role replacing what was called the old Washington consensus with a new consensus for our times. I am confident that at the London summit we can build on the action that the European Council and G20 ministers agreed a few days ago: that we will do whatever it takes to create the growth and the jobs we need.
-- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on March March 16 in New York: Protectionism at this point would, in my opinion, make the economic crisis worse. If we shut off international commerce it would be like taking a fish out of water, it's going to lack air.
-- Chinese President Hu Jintao said on March 31 in an interview with Xinhua: The international financial system should undergo necessary reforms in an all-round, balanced, gradual and effective manner to prevent a similar crisis in the future. We have confidence, conditions and capabilities to keep a steady and rapid growth
-- Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said on March 30: Fighting the current economic and financial crisis demands resolve and commitment. We need to act, and we need to act together.
-- French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on March 24: The London summit should not be purely mechanical, moreover it should be a political summit where we question whether to reform capitalism or leave the field clear for those who want to destroy it. We know where anti-capitalism leads. Surely we do not want to recreate the dramas of the past? Now let us not delay any longer. The current attitude of excess and drifting along must come to an end.
-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Financial Times on March 27: We are coming together to make joint decisions, not to compete against each other. We all want the same thing: to put the world economy back on its feet as fast as possible and to prevent such a crisis from happening again.
-- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Bandar Lampung said on March 5: I attend the G-20 meeting in order to discuss leaders of major countries on how to jointly overcome the global crisis [and] voice Indonesia's interest, so that our economy could be managed and our people could be protected, though there are obstacles.
-- Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said on April 1: At this summit, countries should affirm their determination to take every fiscal and monetary measure to revive the world economy and to send a strong message on the issue of avoiding protectionism.
-- Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on March 12: We always believe that, particularly in difficult times, protectionism is not the correct answer is the wrong answer. If something can be learned from the crisis of the mid-30 is that the imposition of protectionist measures and encouraging slows the recovery of the Mexican economy.
-- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on 15 March in Russian Government web: If you ask what we are proposing, it is simply a more equitable international financial system. In principle all states are talking about this. The issue is where to put the emphasis and whether we want to move forward or simply remain stuck in the situation we have today. Our position is that we need to move forward. I hope that this position will be well-received by our partners during my visit to London for the G20 summit.
-- Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on March 30: The G20 Summit must represent a new stage in the international community's efforts to overcome the financial and economic crises. The key challenge of the G20 is to link the short-term response to the crisis with the task of fundamental reform. We need to build a robust institutional framework to underpin, not only globalisation, but also to address market failures.'
-- South Korean President Lee Myung-baa said on March 4: The recovery of the global economy will depend on actions the US Government takes. It's very important for us to strengthen international co-operation so that global economies can co-ordinate large fiscal stimulus packages and we can recover together.
-- South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said on March 11: No country can respond to the global financial crisis in isolation. South Africa's banking system will play a key role in ensuring that we come out of the global economic recession. We have what it takes to ensure we pull out of this difficult pattern.
-- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told CNN on March 27: I will meet with the managing director of the Fund during the G-20 Summit in London on April 1-2. After completing the talks process, we will sign an agreement. If we cannot agree with IMF officials, then we keep on preserving current conjuncture.
-- U.S. President Barack Obama said on March 30 in an interview with the Financial Times: The most important task for all of us is to deliver a strong message of unity in the face of crisis. All the participating countries recognise that in the face a severe global contraction we have to each take steps to promote economic growth and trade; that means a robust approach to stimulus, fighting off protectionism.
(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2009)
