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Reflections of Fidel
The beginning of the Summit
(Taken from
CubaDebate)
TODAY the G-20 Summit Meeting began. The experts on
economic issues have made a tremendous effort. Some
with experience in important international posts;
others, as research scholars. The issue is a complex
one, the language is new and demands familiarity
with terms, economic data, international agencies
and the political leaders of most weight in the
international sphere. Hence the effort to simplify
and explain intelligibly what is taking place in
London, as I see it.
It is no surprise to anyone that Obama is the star
of the London meeting. He represents the most
powerful and richest country in the world. Special
circumstances are in his favor. The lying, cynical,
warmongering and odious Bush is not there. Neither
is the mediocre and ignorant McCain, precisely
thanks to the amazing victory of Obama, an African
American in the country of racial discrimination,
where a majority of white electors voted for McCain,
although not enough to compensate for the votes of
more than 90% of Black and mixed-race Americans,
citizens of Latino origin, the poor and those
affected by the crisis. He has just been elected at
a point when other G-20 leaders are about to end
their terms and Obama will be the probable president
of the United States for eight years. Nobody finds
it strange that the news from London revolves around
him.
What is important for the world is what comes of
there, if something does come out. All the attendees
have their own national and even personal
objectives, as political leaders who will be judged
by history.
Obama’s objective, in first place, is to change the
image of his country, centrally responsible for the
tragedy the world is enduring and which
international opinion is rightly blaming for the
current devastating economic crisis, for which he
has no political responsibility whatsoever. As
Joseph Stiglitz, former economic director of the
International Monetary Fund and currently a
professor at the Massachusetts Technological
Institute points out: “He should come out and say
that he is not to blame for anything and that he is
trying to solve things as quickly as he can.”
His principal European ally, Prime Minister Gordon
Brown, is the Summit host and is unrestrainedly
aspiring to change the current anti-Labour tendency
unleashed by the blunders of his predecessor Tony
Blair. Obama has been offered the honor of a visit
to Buckingham Palace, where he was received with his
wife Michelle. The president gave the veteran queen
an iPod, fruit of sophisticated U.S. technology,
with songs and images of the queen’s state visit to
the United States in 2007 and a book of sheet music
signed by Richard Rogers. With Her Majesty he didn’t
have to exchange a single word on the worldly G-20
meeting.
On the other hand, Brown is staking all on the
crisis. He is aspiring to change the rules of the
banking system, promote economic growth, increase
cooperation and do away with protectionism. He
acknowledges that the negotiations will be
difficult.
His slogan is “better to look forward rather than
back.” Clearly, if the electors looked back he
wouldn’t get many votes.
The desire of both allies at the heart of the G-20
is to minimize differences with France and Germany.
Sarkozy is making no attempt to conceal his
displeasure with U.S. policy. He is explosive. He
recently threatened to walk out of the meeting.
Yesterday he informed the Europe 1 broadcasting
station that, for now, there is no satisfactory
agreement on the Summit, although he has softened
his threats of walking out if there are no advances
toward greater regulation. “I will not associate
myself with a Summit that does not end with greater
regulation.” He states that the negotiators have not
reached any agreement.
The Summit draft communiqué, already circulating
among journalists, refers to measures to reestablish
global growth, maintain market openings and
stimulate global trade. “We have to obtain results,
we have no choice,” Sarkozy insisted yesterday.
Obama announced a few days ago that the United
States proposes to introduce changes to its
regulation and supervision system, in the hope that
this statement would meet with one part of European
demands, by snatching one its banners.
Sarkozy riposted that his undertaking to do away
with tax havens is being taken seriously.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is very close
to Sarkozy’s positions, is demanding that the
agreement should not even include a demand for a
stimulus package for the advanced countries, neither
should there be any debate on the announcement of a
new international currency, the emerging countries’
demand to the G-7.
“The word is at a crossroads,” Merkel declared, “We
have to do everything possible to avoid the crisis
being repeated.”
“We have to go further than what has been said in
Washington,” and she added that everything agreed in
London must have a guarantee of implementation. “Not
one place, not one product, not a single
institution, should be left without supervision and
transparency.”
Merkel indicated that she is in favor of raising IMF
funds and increasing aid to developing countries,
which are essentially suffering the impact of the
crisis.
An increase in the resources of the International
Monetary Fund would now seem be a fact. On his
arrival in London, the Mexican president said that
he was negotiating a credit line of 26 billion euros
with the Fund. Yesterday, John Lipsky, the
International Monetary Fund’s No. 2, stated in
London that the IMF is to facilitate a credit line
of $47 billion to Mexico in order to guarantee the
availability of liquidity in case the situation of
the markets worsens because of the crisis. That is a
larger sum than Mexico asked for.
As the United States holds the majority of IMF
shares, such a credit would not be possible without
its support, which also points to Obama’s influence
at the London Summit.
The news agencies reported that Obama is to meet in
London with Dmitry Medvedev and Hu Jintao, the
presidents of Russia and China, to discuss the
thorny problems that both countries are confronting
with the United States.
The bilateral meetings between the superpower and
the two major powers will certainly cover economic
problems, or perhaps patiently debated agreements,
approved via their diplomatic representatives, will
be announced.
Today, April 2, I read an extensive and detailed
dispatch from the Xinhua news agency, datelined the
1st, noting that “Chinese
President Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart Barack
Obama agreed to work together to build a positive,
cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the
21st century.”
The two leaders decided to establish the mechanism
of "China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues…"
“The
new commitment, made by the two heads of state
during their meeting in London, will chart course
for and give a strong boost to the sustained, sound
and steady development of China-U.S. relations.”
“China-U.S. relations remain one of the world's most
important bilateral relationships in the 21st
century, when mankind faces tremendous opportunities
and challenges. In the new era, the two countries
shoulder important responsibilities for world peace,
stability and development and they also share broad
common interests.”
“Both
sides should keep pace with the times and always
handle bilateral relations from a strategic and
long-term perspective.”
“They should respect and take into consideration
each other's core interests, and seize the
opportunities and work together to meet the
challenges in the century.”
“The establishment of the China-U.S. Strategic and
Economic Dialogues mechanism is an important step to
further advance their bilateral relations. With
that, the previous strategic dialogue between the
two countries has been upgraded to a new level.”
“At a time when the international financial crisis
continues to spread, it is in the primary common
interests of China and the United States that the
two countries support each other and work together
to ride out the storm.”
“China and the United States should not only enhance
exchange and cooperation in such fields as economy,
the fight against terrorism, proliferation and
transnational crimes, climate change, energy and the
environment, but also strengthen communication and
coordination on regional and global issues.”
Such
an agreement cannot be discussed in a 60-minute
meeting. It was already drafted with all the
details.
China, whose current allies on the Asian continent
invaded and plundered it barely 70 years ago, is now
advancing toward a peak position in the global
economy.
It is the principal creditor of the United States
and is serenely discussing with the president of
that powerful country the rules that are to govern
relations between the two countries in a world
impregnated with risks.
Maybe the Xinhua dispatch is transmitting one of the
most important news items in relation to the G-20
Summit.
It began and ended today while I was writing these
lines! Amazing!
Fidel Castro Ruz
April 2, 2009
3:07 p.m.
Translated by Granma International
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