Lee to unveil Seoul's vision for G-20 at Davos Forum

Lee-Davos Forum


By Lee Chi-dong
ZURICH, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak plans to use his
special address at a high-profile conference in Davos, Switzerland, to outline
his agenda and vision for the G-20 economic summit to be held in Seoul in
November, presidential officials said Thursday.

Lee, on a trip to Zurich after a four-day state visit to India, will head to
Davos by train later in the day to attend the annual meeting of the Geneva-based
World Economic Forum (WEF), commonly called the Davos Forum.
This year's session, the 40th of its kind, focuses on discussing ways to avoid a
recurrence of the global economic crisis and cope with new global challenges
under the theme of "Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild."
It is expected to draw around 2,500 top government officials, political and
business leaders and senior journalists from over 90 countries.
During the main session on Thursday, Lee will deliver a 15-minute special speech
titled, "Seoul G-20: Summit Priorities and Challenges." South Korea co-chairs
this year's meetings with Canada.
"President Lee will first explain the significance of G-20 summit that has
emerged as a premier forum for international economic cooperation to resolve the
worldwide financial crisis," a senior presidential official told reporters in a
background briefing.
The South Korean leader will also say the November summit will seek concrete ways
to follow up on agreements reached at previous meetings such as laying a
framework for balanced global growth and establishing a global financial and
safety net, the official added.
Other compromises at the G-20 summits in Washington, London and Pittsburgh
include the overhaul of the International Monetary Fund and the improvement of
the early warning system.
In the address, Lee will also announce Seoul's "outreach" plan for
non-participants in the G-20 summit to ensure their voices heard.
Lee attended the Davos Forum in 2006 as Seoul Mayor, but this year marks the
first time for a South Korean president to join the forum.
"It is very meaningful in that he is unveiling the direction of the G-20 summit
in November for the first time on the global stage as the president of a host
country," the official said.
On the sidelines of the conference, Lee is scheduled to hold a series of
bilateral summits with his Swiss, Canadian, Spanish and Israeli counterparts.
He will also meet Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and head of the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, and John Chambers, chairman and
CEO of CISCO.
British public broadcaster BBC and U.S.-based global cable news channel CNN plan
to hold in-depth interviews with Lee in Davos to shed light on Lee's campaign to
bring South Korea to the center of the international community, presidential
officials said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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