Obama, Brown Push for Urgent G20 Action

President and PM want tougher bank rules to end recession

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 1, 2009 6:02 AM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama and British PM Gordon Brown today urged G20 members to “do whatever is necessary” to fix the global economic crisis, the Guardian reports. The two world leaders held a joint press conference on the eve of the G20 summit, at which Obama declared “the separation between various parties involved has been vastly overstated."

This sentiment appears to contradict statements by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who plans to stage a joint press conference with German chancellor Angela Merkel later today. "As of today, there is no firm agreement in place," Sarkozy told Europe 1 radio. "The conversation is going forward, there are projects on the table. As things stand at the moment, these projects do not suit France or Germany."

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Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, walks beside US President Barack Obama as they head towards the Foreign Office from 10 Downing Street in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/ Alastair Grant)

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, smiles for the cameras as he greets US President Barack Obama outside 10 Downing Street in London, Wednesday April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Wife of British Prime Minister Sarah Brown, left, and US First Lady Michelle Obama leave10 Downing Street in London where their husbands are meeting ahead of the G20 Summit, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, US first lady Michelle Obama, Sarah Brown, second left and US president Barack Obama pose for the media in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, second left, and his wife Sarah, left, greet US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle, right, outside 10 Downing Street in London, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

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Barack and Michelle Obama arrive at 10 Downing Street in London, where they are greeted by Gordon and Sarah Brown. (comfortablynumb75uk)

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Obama, Brown Push for Urgent G20 Action