U.S. President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday said that they are working to articulate the United States' goals and expectations for unifying the global marketplace as a result of the upcoming G20 meeting. Speaking briefly to press in the White House after the President's daily economic briefing, the two said that the current economic crisis that has devastated U.S. markets has also hurt the global economy. As such, Obama and Geithner said they will work to lay out a plan of cooperation between the G20 nations to better the global economy. The G20 will be held in April in London. At the G20, Obama said the United States is looking to jumpstart the global economy, while also making sure to move forth on a regulatory reform agenda “that ensures that we don't see these same kinds of systemic risks and the potential for this kind of crisis again in the future.” “The United States is part of the integrated global economy…we also have to be mindful about what's happening overseas,” Obama said, pointing to the United States' prioritization of stabilizing emerging markets, the continued purchase of American goods abroad, and ensuring the United States does not succumb to protectionism. In the lead up to the meeting, Obama said he is “actually optimistic about the prospects,” adding “everybody understands that we're in this together.” “I think the G20 countries are going to be seeking a lot of cooperation. One of the messages that is consistently hammered home when I talk to foreign leaders is their recognition that a strong U.S. economy will help their economy. And so they're rooting for our success,” he said. Obama only identified conversations he had about the G20 objectives with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Japanese Prime Minister Aso during their respective visits to the White House.
