French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke Tuesday with the leaders of the United States and Britain about their plans to tackle the economy and the international financial system at the upcoming G-20 summit, according to AP. Sarkozy talked on the telephone with President Barack Obama, then dined at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Both conversations focused on the Sept. 24-25 meeting in Pittsburgh. «We must agree on two things at Pittsburgh, we must make sure that the fragile economy does recover and take all steps necessary for that to happen,» Brown told reporters after dinner. «We have to have a strategy for longer term growth, especially in jobs,» he said. Sarkozy said, «We have to work hand in hand to find solutions to the crisis.» Following Sarkozy's conversation with Obama, the French president's office said the men wanted summit «decisions to ensure durable and balanced growth, reinforce the international financial system and reform international financial institutions and make them more effective.» Sarkozy's office said the conversation with Obama also touched on Mideast peace efforts and Iran.
