S. Korea, Canada agree to continued efforts to fight financial crisis

By Byun Duk-kun
NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Canadian
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Tuesday for the continued leadership of
world leaders overcome the global financial crisis they agreed has not yet ended.

The joint call came ahead of this week's G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh. The
forum was first established late last year to address the ongoing financial
downturn.
"The two leaders agreed to continue to work closely together on international
issues, including the financial crisis, climate change and the promotion of free
trade, while also working to produce significant progress at the third G-20
summit that will contribute to the recovery of the world economy," Seoul's
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.
The bilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of a U.N. summit on climate
change. South Korea assumes the chairmanship of the G-20 forum next year while
Canada is set to assume the leadership of a more exclusive meeting of eight
advanced countries, or G-8, also in 2010.
"In addition, the leaders discussed ways to increase personnel exchanges between
the two countries, expand their energy and resources cooperation and continue
developing their relationship into a special partnership," Cheong Wa Dae said in
a press release.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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