Bush seeks APEC summit for G20 crisis moves
Agence France-Presse | 11/20/2008 4:58 PM
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WASHINGTON – US President George W. Bush hopes leaders at an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru this weekend will back the G20 response to the international economic meltdown, the White House said Wednesday.
Bush leaves early Friday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum hoping to foster closer trade ties among the group's 21 members and win support for the Group of 20's recent declaration on the crisis, a top aide said.
"I will say that certainly one of our priorities ... would seek to broaden the support for that declaration by having it endorsed by the other members of APEC," said Dan Price, Bush's assistant for international economic affairs.
But Price declined to say how likely it would be for APEC, which includes nine of the G20 rich countries and major developing nations, to adopt the statement of principles unveiled after November 14-15 G20 talks in Washington.
"I don't want to pre-judge what it is they will do," he told reporters at a briefing to set the stage for the US president's trip to Peru, perhaps his final bow on the world stage before leaving office January 20.
Bush will meet with leaders of China, South Korea, Japan, and Peru during his two-night stay in Lima, and is "very likely" to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
"I expect they will discuss the ongoing situation in Georgia, the global financial situation as a follow up to the Washington summit that President Medvedev attended, as well as missile defense and other strategic issues," said Johndroe.
No date for that discussion has yet been set because of "scheduling issues," but both leaders are committed to meeting, Johndroe said at the same White House briefing.
APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
