G-20 has big role to play in economic recovery: Manmohan

Observing that the speed of the global economic recovery is still not sufficient, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the G-20 countries have a crucial role to play in the post-crisis period.

The future role of G-20, a group of the top 20 countries in the global economy, was the key issue of discussion when the prime minister met US president Barack Obama, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper, on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit. The two-day summit, attended by 47 countries, concluded on Tuesday.

"I had fruitful discussions with President Obama on a host of issues relating to our bilateral relations, the regional situation, and the world economy," the prime minister said.

"My discussions with President Sarkozy, (German) chancellor Merkel and prime minister Harper focused largely on the future role of the G20 in the post-crisis phase of the global economic recovery.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh with the Heads of the Delegations at the Nuclear Security Summit, in Washington

I will be visiting Canada for the next G20 Summit in June," Singh told reporters at a news conference winding up the Washington leg of his foreign tour.