Open Trade, Harper Urges as He Lays Out Five Goals for G20 Sherpas

(CBC – The Canadian Press)

The G20 nations must keep trade markets open, strengthen banking regulations and nurture a sustained and balanced recovery from the world economic crisis, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says. Those were the priorities Harper laid out for the “sherpas,” the senior bureaucrats who are holding two days of meetings in Ottawa to lay out the agenda for June’s economic summit in Toronto.

The prime minister told the negotiators recovery is by no means fully assured, and he said the G20 will be judged not just by its ability to respond to crisis, but also “its capacity to lead the world through recovery and beyond.”

Harper said it’s natural and expected for countries to defend their national interests, but he said those must be “enlightened” and take into account the overall, long-term needs of the global economy. Read more here.