Seoul selected as venue of next year's G20 summit: officials

(ATTN: UPDATES with Canadian FM visit at bottom)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is planning to pick Seoul as the venue of
next year's Group of 20 (G20) summit, government officials said Friday.
Leaders of the G20 countries agreed at their September summit in Pittsburgh to
meet again next year in Canada in June and in South Korea in November.
The South Korean summit will be the fifth after the first in Washington in
November 2008 and the second in London in April 2009.
Following the Pittsburgh summit, several South Korean cities, including Seoul,
Busan, Incheon and Jeju, have competed to become the host of the November
meeting.
"The government has tentatively decided to hold the G20 summit in Seoul. The
details will be formally announced Monday," said an official at the presidential
office, Cheong Wa Dae.
"Seoul has earned the highest marks in terms of transportation and accommodation,
considering the planned visit of as many as 30 heads of state and their
attendants reaching about 10,000," said the official.
But he noted the government will seek to hold minister- and vice-minister level
preparatory meetings in cities other than Seoul.
President Lee Myung-bak has called for concerted national efforts to upgrade
Korea's credit standing and brand competitiveness through its successful hosting
of next November's G20 summit.
"The hosting of G20 summit will catapult Korea into the center of the
international order and efforts to overcome the economic crisis. Korea's
international status will change from recipient of international order to its
creator. We shouldn't miss out on this opportunity," said Lee in his recent
public address.
As part of preparations, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon will
visit Korea next week, said the Foreign Ministry here. During his three-day trip
starting Sunday, Cannon will meet with his South Korean counterpart, Yu
Myung-hwan, and discuss ways of cooperation for the G20 summit and fine-tune
agenda of a bilateral summit next month. Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper
is set to visit Seoul from Dec. 6-7 and hold talks with Lee on the second day.
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