(G-20) Obama endorses institutionalization of G-20 summit

By Byun Duk-kun
PITTSBURGH, United States, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on
Thursday gave his support for the institutionalization of the G-20 economic
summit, saying the forum must continue to exercise leadership on global issues
after the ongoing financial crisis comes to an end.
Whether to continue the economic forum is one of the questions facing the G-20
leaders, the U.S. president said.
"The answer is yes," Obama said in his opening remarks at a working dinner for
the G-20 participants, according to a spokeswoman for South Korea's presidential
office Cheong Wa Dae. The participating leaders are set to meet here Friday for
the third economic summit.
Obama then proposed the creation of a working group to arrange the
institutionalization of the forum, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman,
Kim Eun-hye.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has repeatedly urged to make the G-20 a
permanent forum, arguing it has proven its usefulness in dealing with the
economic crisis and must see through post-crisis issues.
South Korean officials accompanying the president have said Seoul will likely be
named the host of a G-20 summit in 2010 at the upcoming meeting here.
South Korea is also set to chair the economic conference that year.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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