London summit a potential 'lifeboat' for Aso, others: British minister+

TOKYO, Feb. 19 Kyodo -
A successful Group of 20 financial summit in London in April could provide a
''lifeboat for everybody,'' including Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and
other world leaders whose domestic support has plummeted amid the global
economic crisis, Britain's state minister for Africa, Asia and the United
Nations said Thursday.
Mark Malloch-Brown, on a visit to Japan, said he discussed with Aso in talks
earlier Thursday how to coordinate measures including on strengthening the
capabilities of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, preventing
protectionism and ensuring developing countries are not neglected in the
crisis.
''This crisis is starting to take a toll on incumbents everywhere. It poses
difficulties for those leaders, but it's also a huge incentive to take strong
action and get it right,'' Malloch-Brown told a news conference. ''London is a
lifeboat for everybody if it works.''
At the same time, he warned that unless world leaders ''find a coordinated way
to drive our economies forward,'' stimulus measures at the national level will
not be effective.
''The stimulus that will restart the Japanese economy is unlikely, after all
the efforts in the last decade, to be solely a domestic stimulus. It is going
to be a global stimulus,'' he said.
Malloch-Brown and Aso agreed to cooperate closely toward the success of the
April 2 summit, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
Aso also told the British minister that participants at the summit should check
the progress of what was agreed at the previous round in Washington last
November, while sending a forward-looking message for global economic recovery,
the official said.
Malloch-Brown responded that Britain has big expectations for Japan's role and
that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also expressed his intention to
cooperate with Aso for the success of the financial summit, according to the
official.
Amid growing concern over Japan's rapid economic contraction, compounded by the
faltering Aso administration, Malloch-Brown told reporters that many European
nations are also ''struggling with the difficult cocktail of domestic
unpopularity at home and yet the need to rise to the occasion and undertake
major economic commitments.''
''The summit offers a great opportunity for politicians under pressure at
home,'' he said.
Aso and Malloch-Brown shared their concerns about the grave impact of the
deteriorating global economy on developing countries and touched on the
importance of cooperating with Asian nations and supporting Africa, the
official said.
Describing the April meeting as a ''crossroads moment,'' Malloch-Brown stressed
the need to ensure that countries do not resort to protectionism when trying to
stimulate their domestic economies.
''(There is) the desire not to repeat the mistakes of the 1930s, but to instead
have leaders come together in a well-prepared but ambitious way to set a road
map forward which would draw us out of the recession that our economies are
sinking into,'' he said.
In response to a reporter's remark that Aso, who was dealt another blow this
week with the resignation of his finance minister, may be ousted before the
April meeting, Malloch-Brown drew laughter as he quipped, ''Certainly he was in
no doubt that he will be in London for the summit. He was showing great
confidence.''
(Mie Sakamoto also contributed to this report.)
==Kyodo
2009-02-19 22:19:54