Sarkozy seeks Swiss input in next G20 summit
French president Nicolas Sarkozy has suggested that the Swiss get more involved in the next G20 summit.
It would be wise to solicit the input of countries like Switzerland, as Sarkozy told the media in Seoul on Friday.
“Nations with something to say about financial matters should be invited to preparatory workshops [for the next G20 summit]– and Switzerland carries weight in the world of finance,” said Sarkozy, something he has also said to Swiss President Doris Leuthard.
However, he has excluded the possibility of Switzerland’s direct participation in the next G20 summit, scheduled to take place in Cannes, France, in November 2011.
Sarkozy’s comments have been well-received in Switzerland.
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the newly-designated finance minister, told Swiss television on Saturday that it was a “good sign” that Swiss input was wanted.
“Of course it would be nice if we could attend the summit as well,” she added.
As Mario Tuor, spokesman for the Swiss State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (Sif), told Swiss Radio, “If not as a full member, then at least during preliminary talks, where working groups often begin making decisions.”
The 2010 G20 summit wrapped up in Seoul on Friday.
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