G20 officials begin talks on summit statement

Finance officials from the Group of 20 have launched tough negotiations Monday in Seoul to finalize a joint statement to be issued by their leaders this week. 

Korea, the chair of the fifth G20 summit, handed out the draft to each member last week, said a key official of the Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit. 

The communiqu will be announced Friday at the close of the two-day summit. 

“Via e-mail, each country has replied with comments to the draft we’ve sent,” the official said. “Korea has just collected their revised proposal and vice finance ministers started to review each member’s position at the (Monday’s) close-door meeting.”

He said the draft covers all agendas, including the most contentious of issue of currency policy. “Their comments on the draft concern details.”

The draft has been drawn based on prior consultations among working-level officials of the chair country and the other members, he said.