G-20 may discuss imbalances, global monetary system: Noda+

TOKYO, Feb. 10 Kyodo -
Financial chiefs from the Group of 20 leading economies may discuss next week
guidelines to address the global trade imbalances and possible reforms of the
international monetary system, Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said
Thursday.
The G-20 members are likely to discuss ''what could be employed as measurement
or guidelines,'' Noda told reporters, referring to the group's attempt to
coordinate efforts to correct the imbalances as some are required to boost
domestic demand instead of depending on exports while others see the need to
encourage the public to save more money rather than spending it.
G-20 finance ministers and central bank heads are scheduled to meet Feb. 18 and
19 in Paris. Noda and Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa are expected to
join the meeting.
Noda also said that France, which will host this year's meetings of the G-20,
is eager to discuss how the international monetary system should be -- an issue
closely linked to reviewing the dominance of the U.S. dollar as the world's
reserve currency and also to taking into account the growing importance of
emerging market countries such as China.
''Those will be the main agenda items,'' Noda said.
The G-20 groups Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
==Kyodo