S Korea to host G-20 summit in 2010

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-25 22:56

SEOUL: South Korea will host the G20 economic summit in 2010 as it takes the chairmanship of the forum, South Korea's presidential office said Friday.

"First, let me inform our citizens that it was decided to hold the 2010 G20 summit in (South) Korea in November," South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was quoted as saying at a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, according to a press release.

The decision, which came amid the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, was passed unanimously despite of some hardship in the process, the president said.

The November meeting will be marked as the fifth for the forum, which was originally launched late last year to tackle the global economic crisis.

Meanwhile, Canada will host the fourth G20 meeting in June on the sidelines of the G8 summit there, the leaders said.

At the June meeting, South Korea will serve as a co-hosting and co-chairing country, Harper said, while Lee vowed to closely cooperate with Canada.

The two leaders agreed that the G20 summit has become the "premier forum" to realize global economic cooperation, according to the press release.

"As the summit joint communique says itself, next year, the G20 summit will be the premier economic summit," Harper said at a joint statement to be announced later Friday.

South Korea's presidential office welcomed the decision from Pittsburgh, relating the event to South Korea's diplomatic history.

Lee Dong-kwan, South Korea's top secretary for public relations, lauded it as the most remarkable diplomatic event in Korean history.

Calling G20 countries the most influential leaders of the global community, Sakong Il, special adviser to the South Korean president, said hosting the meeting means South Korea is taking a leading role in resolving global issues.

"Granted with such an important task, we can say that we have been acknowledged with our capabilities in the global society," Sakong said.