Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Obama: G-20 a 'turning point'

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) -- President Barack Obama said Saturday his European visit had produced "real and unprecedented progress" in addressing the crises facing the United States, from the global economic meltdown to the war in Afghanistan.

Obama, who attended a G-20 summit in London and is currently at a NATO meeting hosted by Germany and France, said in his weekly radio address the London gathering had helped engender the global coordination needed to lift the world's economies out of recession.

"After two days of careful negotiation, the G-20 nations have agreed on a series of unprecedented steps that I believe will be a turning point in our pursuit of a global economic recovery," he said, referring to the group of developed and emerging economic powers.

"All of us are now moving aggressively to get our banks lending again. All of us are working to spur growth and create jobs. And all of us have agreed on the most sweeping reform of our financial regulatory framework in a generation," Obama said.

The U.S. president said his meetings with the leaders of Russia and China had laid the groundwork for constructive relations on issues of mutual concern "while being frank with each other about where we disagree."

Obama said his talks with Chinese leader Hu Jintao had produced a strategic and economic dialogue, while his session with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had set the countries on a path toward a new treaty to reduce their nuclear arsenals.

He said he planned to outline steps "to secure the world's loose nuclear materials and stop the spread of these deadly weapons" on Sunday, when he is due to attend an EU summit in Prague.

Obama said he had asked allies during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit for additional civilian support and assistance for the group's efforts in Afghanistan, saying every nation had a stake in the success of the mission.

"As we have worked this week to find common ground and strengthen our alliances, we have not solved all of our problems," Obama said. "But we have made real and unprecedented progress and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead." 


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