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'wonderful working with our Dutch allies'

'the Dutch “3D” approach – defense, diplomacy, and development – pursued simultaneously, which may sound familiar to some of us, is a model for our own efforts and the future efforts in Afghanistan. There’s a lot of work for us to do there...'

'I also want to thank the Dutch Government for their leadership in the G-20 process. The successful London Summit was enhanced by the prime minister and the foreign minister’s strong support for open markets and opposition to protectionism. We know that the Dutch economy has been hard hit by this global downturn. With the world’s seventh largest international financial sector, the Netherlands is a major participant in the global economy...'

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen of the Netherlands met with Secy. of State Hillary Clinton in

Washington, DC on April 20, 2009. Here are their comments to the press which covered a wide range of foreign policy issues:

Pres. Obama's very International radio address

OBAMA: President Hu and I agreed that the link between China’s economy and ours is of great mutual benefit, and we established a new Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the U.S. and China.

President Medvedev and I discussed our shared commitment to a world without nuclear weapons,
and we signed a declaration putting America and Russia on the path to a
new treaty to further reduce our nuclear arsenals.

US President Barak Obama gives a weekly radio address. Typically (lately) the statement this has been directed to the American people and focused on domestic issues (namely the weakened economy). This time, in light of the G-20, NATO meetings and other stops in Europe -- the address was very International. Here it is:

US PRESIDENT OBAMA --  Saturday, April 4, 2009:

In this new century, we live in a world that has grown smaller and more interconnected than at any time in history. Threats to our nation’s security and economy can no longer be kept at bay by oceans or by borders drawn on maps. The terrorists who struck our country on 9/11 plotted in Hamburg, trained in Kandahar and Karachi, and threaten countries across the globe. Cars in Boston and Beijing are melting ice caps in the Arctic that disrupt weather patterns everywhere. The theft of nuclear material from the former Soviet Union could lead to the extermination of any city on earth. And reckless speculation by bankers in New York and London has fueled a global recession that is inflicting pain on workers and families around the world and across America.

The challenges of our time threaten the peace and prosperity of every single nation, and no one nation can meet them alone. That is why it is sometimes necessary for a President to travel abroad in order to protect and strengthen our nation here at home. That is what I have done this week.

Michelle Obama and the Royal Touch -- All good now?

As for the lighter side of the G-20 wrap-up, much has been made about the US First Lady Michelle Obama's encounter with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.  Apparently Mrs. Obama broke with Royal protocol which dictates that no one shall never ever ever touch the Queen, aside from a quick Royal handshake.

The 'much ado' seemed to subside after The Buckingham Palace Press Officer released a Royal statement saying that there was no breach of protocol and there are no specific instructions issued on how to address the Queen.

The Palace said that "It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection and appreciation between the Queen and Michelle Obama...The London Summit reception at Buckingham Palace was an informal occasion."

Apparently the Queen was also overheard saying to Michelle Obama 'Let's stay in touch'. -- or something to that effect.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? DID THE US FIRST LADY CROSS THE LINE?

Obama at conslusion of G-20: 'A Turning Point'

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "...we finished a very productive summit that will be, I believe, a turning point in our pursuit of global economic recovery. By any measure, the London summit was historic.  It was historic because of the size and the scope of the challenges that we face, and because of the timeliness and magnitude of our response..."

G-20 in 10 verbs --> RESPOND... RESTORE... SUPERVISE... REGULATE... ENSURE... SUSTAIN... FUND... REINVIGORATE... PREVENT... & EXPLAIN.

The London Summit released a document on 'London Summit Outcomes' explaining decisions taken at the G20 on issues such as financial regulation, economic growth, global trade and helping the world’s poorest countries/people.

READ THE COMPLETE (FULL TEXT) OF G-20 LONDON SUMMIT OUTCOMES document.

Here are some highlights of the document, that explains some of the 'Real action' that was agreed to at the G-20 Summit in London:

Restoring Confidence, Jobs, and Growth -- A series of financial market events beginning in 2007 has culminated in the worst international banking crisis in generations... In response to these events, governments of the G20 nations have agreed to take action to accelerate the return to trend growth and support families and businesses through the recession...
Strengthening financial supervision and regulation -- Problems in the financial sector and weaknesses in supervision were one of the fundamental causes of the crisis. Increased lending and securitisation of assets
reduced transparency and exposed the banking system to high levels of systemic risk...
Funding and reforming our international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones...The global financial crisis has resulted in the seizing up of international financial markets that are essential for keeping the world economy functioning. The effects of this have been particularly felt in developing and emerging economies...
To ensure international financial institutions have the resources needed to provide responsive and effective support to developing economies – which have been key factors in world economic growth over the last ten years and are vital to ending the global recession – G20 Leaders have agreed to resources available through the IFIs by $850 billion.

Promoting global trade and investment and reject protectionism, to underpin prosperity Trade is vital for the health of the global economy: The more open to trade economies are, the greater the benefits.
exacerbated by growing protectionist pressures, but also the drying up of trade credit
The G20 leaders stated that reinvigorating world trade and investment is essential for restoring world growth and leaders agreed on action to stop the slowdown in world trade...

Ensuring a fair and sustainable recovery for all...Build an inclusive, green, and sustainable recovery;  -- The global financial crisis affects all countries, rich and poor, and the response will also affect all– both rich and poor countries now, but also future generations. Leaders recognised the human dimension to the crisis and committed to support those affected by creating employment opportunities and through income support measures. And they stated their determination not only to restore growth but also to lay the foundation for a fair and sustainable world economy.

READ THE COMPLETE (FULL TEXT) OF G-20 LONDON SUMMIT OUTCOMES document.

Early Specific Committments after G20 Summit: Emergency Funding for 'most vulnerable populations'

Released by The White House, April 2, 2009, in coordination with President Obama's
Press Conference at G-20 'The London Summit'. Here's an example of an early tangible commitment described by the Obama Administration, following the G20 Summit

Request for Foreign Assistance Funds to Address the Financial Crisis | FACT SHEET
President Obama intends to request $448 million from Congress in emergency funding to help targeted developing countries respond to the current and anticipated effects of the crisis on extremely poor and vulnerable populations.
This targeted assistance will complement the actions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and other donors to stabilize macroeconomic conditions and restore the health of the international financial sector.
The President will ask allocate this assistance on the basis of the most recent information on the crisis and its impacts on vulnerable populations at the time the funds become available. Conditions remain extremely volatile, and the efficiency of our assistance will depend on its responsiveness to rapidly changing local circumstances.
The principal criterion by which the targeted recipients of this aid would be identified is
the severity of the effects of the crisis, in terms of lost jobs and incomes on the extreme poor and those at risk of falling back into extreme poverty.
The requested assistance will be provided in three ways:
1. Significant, short-term financial support for social safety net programs – including, cash for work, education programs, health programs and food.
2. Credit guarantees designed to re-energize private sector lending to small and medium sized businesses and other targeted economic sectors that can rapidly create jobs and restore the incomes of the poor.
3. Technical assistance to governments and financial institutions to support all of these activities.
The requested funds would be implemented by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Department of Treasury, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and other Federal agencies, as appropriate.

Obama sums up 'What we agreed on' at G-20 Press Conference

US PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA SPEAKING at G20 PRESS CONFERENCE: 

Let me outline what I think has been most significant.

Number one, we are committed to growth and job creation. All G- 20 nations have acted to stimulate demand, which will total well over $2 trillion in global fiscal expansion.

The United States is also partnering with the private sector to clean out the troubled assets, the legacy assets that are crippling some banks, and using the full force of the government to ensure that our action leads directly to loans to businesses, large and small, as well as individuals who depend on credit. And these efforts will be amplified by our G-20 partners, who are pursuing similarly comprehensive programs.

READ PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA'S ENTIRE OPENING STATEMENT AT THE G-20 PRESS CONFERENCE

READ THE TEXT OBAMA'S RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS AT G-20

We also agreed on bold action to support developing countries so that we aren't faced with declining markets that the global economy depends on. Together, the G-20 is tripling the IMF's lending capacity and promoting lending by multilateral development banks to increase the purchasing power and expand markets in every country.

We've also rejected the -- the protectionism that could deepen this crisis. History tells us that turning inward can help turn a downturn into a depression.

And this cooperation between the world's leading economies signals our support for open markets, as does our multilateral commitment to trade finance that will grow our exports and create new jobs. That's all on the growth front.

Next, we made enormous strides in committing ourselves to comprehensive reform of a failed regulatory system. And together, I believe that we must put an end to the bubble-and-bust economy that has stood in the way of sustained growth and enabled abusive risk- taking that endangers our prosperity.

At home, back in the states, our efforts began with an approach that Secretary Geithner proposed last week, the strongest regulatory reforms any nation has contemplated so far to prevent the massive failure of responsibility that we've already seen. Today these principles have informed and enabled the coordinated action that we will take with our G-20 partners.

To prevent future crises, we agreed to increase transparency and capital protections for our financial institutions. We're extending supervision to all systemically important institutions, markets and products, including hedge funds.

We'll identify jurisdictions that fail to cooperate, including tax havens, and take action to defend our financial system.

We will re-establish the Financial Stability Forum with a stronger mandate.

And we will reform and expand the IMF and World Bank so they are more efficient, effective and representative.

Finally, we are protecting those who don't always have a voice at the G-20, but who have suffered greatly in this crisis. And the United States is ready to lead in this endeavor.

READ PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA'S ENTIRE OPENING STATEMENT AT THE G-20 PRESS CONFERENCE

READ THE TEXT OBAMA'S RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS AT G-20

Photo via The London Summit, by Lawrence Looi /Newsteam, use: Some rights reserved

G-20 Leaders Release Official Communique to face 'greatest challenge to world economy in modern times'

The official communique has been released at the closing of the 2009 G-20 Summit in London.

Here are some of the essentials of the what the major world leaders agreed to communicate to the world today:

We face the greatest challenge to the world economy in modern times; a crisis  which has deepened since we last met, which affects the lives of women, men, and children in every country, and which all countries must join together to resolve. A global crisis requires a global solution. 

We start from the belief that prosperity is indivisible; that growth, to be sustained, has to be shared; and that our global plan for recovery must have at its heart the needs and jobs of hard-working families, not just in developed countries but in emerging markets and the poorest countries of the world too; and must reflect the interests, not just of today’s population, but of future generations too. We believe that the only sure foundation for sustainable globalisation and rising prosperity for all is an open world economy based on market principles, effective regulation, and strong global institutions.

We have today therefore pledged to do whatever is necessary to:

• restore confidence, growth, and jobs;
• repair the financial system to restore lending;
• strengthen financial regulation to rebuild trust;
• fund and reform our international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones;
• promote global trade and investment and reject protectionism, to underpin prosperity; and
• build an inclusive, green, and sustainable recovery.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE OFFICIAL G-20 COMMUNIQUE RELEASE AT THE LONDON SUMMIT

Photo via The London Summit, by Richard Lewis / newsteam.co.uk, Limited Use, Crown Copyright

LOOKING AT THE G-20 -- World Leaders at the Plenary Session

Prince Saud Al Faisal of Saudi Arabia (L) and Finance Minister Ibraheim Al Asaf (R) pictured during a plenary session at the London Summit at the ExCel Arena in London, UK today, April 1 2009
London, UK on Thursday, April 02, 2009 Picture FRANTZESCO KANGARIS/Newsteam.co.uk

                                     ``                 
United States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, United States of America President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the start of the Plenary Sessions at the London Summit, Excel Centre, London, UK on Thursday, April 02, 2009 Picture FRANTZESCO KANGARIS/Newsteam.co.uk



President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe (L) and his Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel (R) pictured during a plenary session at the London Summit at the ExCel Arena in London, UK today, April 1 2009. Picture Anita Maric / newsteam.co.uk

                                   
Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (R) and Finance Minister Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati (L) pictured during a plenary session at the London Summit at the ExCel Arena in London, UK today, April 1 2009.  Picture Hugo Philpott / newsteam.co.uk

All Above Photos:Provided via The London Summit 2009, Crown Copyright,   Some rights reserved

G-20 Official Schedule for Today -- US | World leaders to sandwich-in sideline meetings

 G-20 Summit Meetings for Thursday April 1st, 2009

• 8:30 a.m. --   G-20 leaders breakfast
• 9:50 a.m. --   G-20 opening plenary session
• 1:25 p.m. --   G-20 leaders lunch
• 2:30 p.m. --   G-20 afternoon plenary session

...and here's a look of US President Barak Obama's bilateral meetings today -- these on top of meetings yesterday with the heads of state from Russia and China.

• 8:00 a.m. --  Obama to meet with with leaders of South Korea
• 3:45 p.m. --  Obama to meet with with leaders of Saudi Arabia
• 4:30 p.m. --  Obama to meet with with leaders of India
  
  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to give a talk at the London School of Economics in the evening.

US, China meet in UK: Obama and Hu -- Discuss just about everything.

A few highlights excerpted from the White House's Readout on --
ON PRESIDENT OBAMA'S MEETING WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT HU
...the President accepted an invitation to visit China sometime in the later half of this year. And we’ll go from there...this was the first time they met. They had spoken on the phone for a couple times after the election and inauguration. I’d say that the high points were that they agreed on a characterization of the relationship as a positive – building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship for the 21st century. As you know, there have been characterizations in the past; this is the one that is agreed upon here...
They discussed a broad range of issues. I’ll just list them at the outset and we’ll get into greater depth as you wish. They discussed bilateral relations, including military – military-to-military relations. They discussed the economy – domestic economy and the international economy. They discussed a range of international issues – notably North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sudan. They also discussed human rights in Tibet and Taiwan. Climate change was also mentioned. Am I missing anything? That’s, I think, the whole list. And we can get into greater depth on these as you wish...
I would say that President Obama’s approach on China is marked by pragmatism, by a non—ideological approach, a belief that this is a critical relationship for addressing and resolving global issues, starting with the international economic and financial crisis, but also things like North Korea, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan and climate change. The President said that none of these issues are going to be resolved if the U.S. and China don’t work together. He recognized that China in the last decade has greatly increased its own strength and its own role in the world, and he looks to build a relationship with China where China works cooperatively with us to resolve these international issue

Pres. Obama and Russian Pres. Medvedev discuss arms control

This released from The White House:

Today President Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, where they discussed their intention to draft a new arms control treaty to replace the START agreement, and broad parameters of US-Russia relations in general. This morning Prime Minister Gordon Brown told President Obama, "Your first 70 days in office have changed America, and you've changed America's relationship with the world" – both President Obama and President Medvedev’s words standing together after the meeting gave hope that the Prime Minister’s words were true:

 

President Obama:

As I've said in the past, I think that over the last several years the relationship between our two countries has been allowed to drift. And what I believe we've begun today is a very constructive dialogue that will allow us to work on issues of mutual interest, like the reduction of nuclear weapons and the strengthening of our nonproliferation treaties; our mutual interest in dealing with terrorism and extremism that threatens both countries; our mutual interest in economic stability and restoring growth around the world; our mutual interest in promoting peace and stability in areas like the Middle East.  

So I am very encouraged by the leadership of the President. I'm very grateful that he has taken the time to visit. I am especially excited about the fact that the President extended an invitation for me to visit Moscow to build on some of the areas that we discussed on today. And I have agreed to visit Moscow in July, which we both agreed was a better time than January to visit.

 

President Medvedev:

It is important to note that there are many points on which we can work. And indeed there are far more points in which we can -- where we can come closer, where we can work, rather than those points on which we have differences. Thus, by bringing our positions closer we can attain significant progress and, much more importantly, further our achievements.   I share the view of President Obama who said that our teams have worked really well in preparation of this meeting, and the declarations, the two declarations, which we are adopting are just another proof of that. And those are a declaration on the strategic weapons, and the declaration on the general framework of relations between Russia and the United States, which set good grounds for our further interaction.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENTS OF USA AND RUSSIA