On the sidelines of the Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy this afternoon, President Lee Myung-bak met with Madeleine Albright, the former U.S. Secretary of State, and Jim Leach, the former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs of the US House of Representatives. The two dignitaries are attending the summit on behalf of President-elect Barack Obama.

At the meeting, President Lee and the Obama representatives discussed issues of mutual interest, including the global financial summit and how to overcome the global financial crisis.

The meeting was arranged at the request of President-elect Obama’s office. President-elect Obama asked his representatives to meet with and listen to visiting foreign leaders on his behalf at the summit.
 

Meanwhile, the President and his aides visited the Brookings Institution for a meeting from 2:30 to 4:00 this afternoon. On hand at the meeting from the US side were President Strobe Talbott of the Brookings Institution, Vice President Gary Samore of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and five others. During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on a wide range of issues.

President Lee began by saying, “Barack Obama’s election has brought new hope for change for the United States and the whole world. Based on this, I expect the new Obama Administration will be able to surmount a variety of challenges from inside and outside the country.” 

Touching on ways to overcome the current financial crisis, the participants from the Brookings Institution said that the countries participating in this summit well represent the interests of all nations in the world. Against this backdrop, they continued, it is expected that the goal of the discussions will be to bring about a substantive outcome.

President Lee responded by saying, “It is necessary for advanced countries as well as newly emerging countries to join forces in pooling wisdom to solve the global financial crisis. I hope this summit will serve as an opportunity to effectively seek out ways to promote collaboration among countries in addressing global issues.”

Concerning the North Korean nuclear issue, participants from the Brookings Institution said that the United States remains firmly committed to dismantling the North’s nuclear programs. They warned that the North should not have too many expectations. Resolution of the nuclear issue is crucial for the promotion of peace and stability in Northeast Asia, they said. In particular, close cooperation between Korea and United States is essential, they added.

In response, President Lee underlined the importance “for Korea and the United States to closely cooperate and speak in unison to effectively persuade the North.”

When it comes to matters concerning the Korea-U.S. FTA, participants from the Brookings Institution mostly listened to explanations of President Lee. The President said, “The FTA is an issue that goes beyond economic dimension. It needs to be pursued from a comprehensive perspective involving the economy and the Korea-U.S. alliance as well.” In addition, President Lee emphatically said, “Although I inherited the agreement from the previous Administration, I am pushing vigorously ahead with it.”

In addition, U.S. President George W. Bush sent a letter to the Korean President through Stephen Hadley, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In the letter, President Bush expressed his appreciation for the endeavors and contributions of the Zaytun Division to the reconstruction effort in Iraq. In particular, he mentioned that the division’s activities constitute evidence that the Republic of Korea is successfully contributing to the promotion of freedom and democracy in the international community.