Lee, Obama likely to hold first meeting in London

SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his new U.S.
counterpart Barack Obama will likely hold their first meeting on the sidelines of
a G-20 summit slated to be held in London in April, an official at the South
Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.
The meeting has yet to be fixed, but Washington has agreed to positively consider
the possibility, the official told reporters, asking not to be identified.
"Because the London meeting will be short (even if it is held), we have also
conveyed President Lee's wish to visit the United States at the earliest date
possible for a summit," the official said.
The message was apparently relayed by Kim Sung-hwan, senior secretary to the
president for foreign affairs and security, who was in Washington last week for
talks with his U.S. counterpart, National Security Adviser James Jones.
The official said no date for the Washington summit has yet been proposed, but
other officials earlier noted the president could visit the U.S. as early as in
April.
Lee has held two telephone conversations with the new U.S. president since the
latter was elected president in November. The Obama administration was
inaugurated on Jan. 20.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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