BuaNews (Tshwane)
13 November 2008
Pretoria — South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, together with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, will on Thursday depart for Washington where they will participate in the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit.
The G-20 Summit, hosted by United States President George W. Bush, is scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, President Motlanthe will lead the South African delegation to the Summit of the G-20 within the context of South Africa's priority to participate in the reformation of the global financial architecture.
The G-20 finance process, which includes key developed and emerging market countries, was established in 1999 after the last financial crisis that had worldwide implications, the department said.
The summit is expected to review progress being made to address the current global financial crisis and agree on a common set of principles for reform of the regulatory and institutional regimes for international financial sectors.
Leaders will also discuss the effects of the crisis on emerging economies and developing nations.
The Washington meeting follows that of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G-20 in São Paulo, Brazil on 9 November during which the causes of and policy responses to the global financial crisis was discussed and perspectives on scenarios going forward shared.
The meeting focused on ensuring financial stability, supporting global growth and maintaining recent achievements in poverty reduction and social inclusion.
Members of the G-20 include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union and are expected to discuss financial markets and the global economy.
The meeting will also be attended by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, the President of the World Bank, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, and the Chairman of the Financial Stability Forum.
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A very well thought out analysis, though I disagree with “South Africa should support France and Germany in pursuing financial regulatory reform”. While reform is obviously needed, it must be remembered that neither of the mentioned economies would exist in present form, or be any where near as powerful, without having followed the American model; a model not completely right and in need of adjustment, to be sure, but a basis on which the modern world has been built. The words of commenter ‘Mohagany’ as to the electric power required are an absolute : without the power to drive the engines of commerce, any nation so lacking will forever be relegated to secondary, at best, status.
These are good observations. Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa should really think of a super electric grid, Europe and Northern Africa is building a Mediterrean Ring electric interconnection. Talk of economic development without an adequate energy infrastructure is a non-starter.
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