President-elect Barack Obama‘s first year of engagement with the rest of a watchful world will be defined by the economic crisis, by the calendar and by chance. As former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan observed, when asked to explain the main influences on his years in power: “Events, dear boy, events.”
The crisis and the calendar will come together at the Group of 20 meeting in London on April 2, when Prime Minister Gordon Brown hosts Obama and the rest of the Group of Seven leaders, along with the leaders of Russia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Mexico and others.
This is the follow-up to the rather disappointing G20 summit in Washington on Nov. 25, which suffered from Obama’s absence. As well as Obama’s first encounter with his fellow leaders on the world stage, next year’s meeting will establish how far the world can expect a coordinated global response to the crisis.
Read the full upi report.
The Pentagon Brief 