OECD Head Angel Guria to EuroFora on Cannes' G20 Summit Agenda +need to combine Growth+Consolidation

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- OECD's Secretary General, the experienced Angel Guria, who has just started his 2nd mandate after his recent re-election until 2016, speaking to "EuroFora" after the Annual Debate in CoE's Assembly on Global Economy, pointed at the right "Combination" of Growth Stimulation and  Debt's reduction, in order to boost mainly Employment, while looking at the Agenda of the forthcoming G20 Heads of State/Governments' Summit at Cannes, under French Presidency, scheduled for early November 2011, at a crucial moment for EU's and World's ways out of the Global Crisis.

-"Of course, there is always a Hope :  If we tried to do it with what (Time) is left, No ?", joked Guria with a sharp but justified smile, proposing to "EuroFora" a fast-track Press encounter, in the few Minutes available after a full CoE Assembly Plenary Debate on OECD and many intensive International meetings with 7 Delegations from all over the World (See infra), just before catching an Airplane...

- "They (G20 Summit at Cannes) have a very Large and Good Agenda", OECD's Head warned from the outset.

- "But the most important thing, obviously will be how to face the present situation in the Markets".

+ "And", in particular, "this very difficult Combination between the (Economic Growth) Recovery and the (Sovereign Debts') Fiscal Consolidation.. It's all going so thin", he added carefuly. Meaning apparently that delicate "Balancing" between two apparently opposed policies, that he had earlier evoked in the Oral version of his Speech in CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, we observed.

- "That Balance is now becoming not only Desirable, I think it's becoming (even) Indispensable", OECD's Secretary General stressed, in reply to"EuroFora"s observation.

- "Because, this is a New Discipline that the Markets are providing : Now the Markets are saying that : now you have to do Both", and "at the same time : that's the Difficulty !"

- F.ex., "let's say, they say : "Go for Growth", and then, they kill you, because , they say, "you need Adjustment", etc. "And then, you only go for Fiscal Consolidation", and "they tell you : - "You know, we are going to Downgrade you, because you don't have enough Growth in the" economy...

- In these conditions, "the best example" might be that of the latest "Obama's proposal : the 3% of GDP, 450 Billions $, in a very Tight Budget", he speculated.  Questioned by "EuroFora" if he was sure that this could be also good for many other Countries around the World, and not only for the specific situation of the US, Angel Guria replied that, at least; it seems to be "a Good Way to make a Credible Medium/Long term Scenario", as he carefully said... - "And then, you can have a Short term, Job ..horizontal Package"..he added among others, (interrupted by practical needs to catch fast an Airplane).

EU has repeatedly made it clear that the current originality of its own, European Strategy in the way out of the Global Crisis, is to focus on Investment to Research and Innovation, while also putting Budgets on a steady Fiscal Consolidation course, (including by officially adopting the "Gloden Rule", with Time Deadlined cmmitments on Debt reduction, while, at the same time, resolutely advancing forward in "Inregration", (See "EuroFora"s relevant publications, including from the recent EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg : 9/2011, and from the Franco-German Summits in Freiburg/Gemany on 12/2010 and Paris, 8/2011)      

 - Concerning the forthcoming G20, November 2011 Summit at Cannes, (chaired by France), "the most important thing is that the Agenda will be about Volatility of Raw Materials' Prices, f.ex. in Food, Oil, etc., OECD's Head observed, confirming the Innovation introduced at the First G20 Financial 2011 Summit in Paris, as former French Minister and new IMF's Director Christine Lagarde had stressed in reply to an "EuroFora"s Question, (See previous NewsReports from the Paris event).

    + But Cannes' G20 Summit Agenda is due to include also "about the Currency situation and Capital Flows, and then it's going to be, by necessity, about Fossil Fuel", as well as "a question on Employment", which is "very important" : "It's going to be like the <<Elephant under the Table>>", Guria guessed...  

    In parallel, the G8 will continue to be "focusing on Strategic issues, Middle East and Northern Africa", etc, as during  the latest, landmark G8 Summit of Heads of State and Government, on May 2011 in Deauville, under the chairmanship of French President Sarkozy, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot).

    -  Meanwhile,"We are going to have another G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in Paris, on the 14th and 15th of October, after the end of which, "we go to Cannes' (G 20 Heads of State/Government Summit), in 2 Weeks' time", he pointed out.

    - "Keep an eye on that meeting", because "it's going to be very important", since "it's gonna set the Agenda for Cannes"" G20 Heads of State/Government Summit, OECD's Head advised "EuroFora", confirming also that he is due to participate in both personally.
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+ 7 Delegations from Australia to Japan, Canada and Mexico +..
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    During his Day-long stay in Strasbourg, Angel Guria almost transformed the PanEuropean CoE into a ...Global Forum, with the exceptional participation of "7 Delegations" from various OECD Member States spreading from all over the World, including f.ex. Australia, Canada, Chile (new OECD Member), Israel,  Japan, Korea and Mexico  :

    After actively participating to COE Assembly's Debates on OECD's 2011 Annual Report, these 7 Delegations from International Guests held very Intensive discussions with the Head of the OECD in Strasbourg, one after the other, up to late afternoon, when a busy Guria rapidly snatched his abudant documents, gathered around him his sympathetic team, and run fast towards a special car to catch a TGV or an Airplane, ... while still speaking to "EuroFora" up to the last minute, with an astonishingly Fast, Crystal-clear and Energetic way...
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    + At the aftermath of Cannes,  the next G 20 is due to be held much Sooner than usual, i.e.  shortly after the next G8 in the USA, scheduled around May 2012, due to be closely followed by the G20 in Mexico (f.ex. on June), "because they (Mexicans) have Elections on July, and want to hold the Summit before" that, Guria explained, according to a Timetable which obviously fits also USA's October 2012 Election..  
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    OECD was initially mentioned, as a potential contributor for the implementation of Global Heads of State/Government Summits during the 2007 G7 Summit in Heiligendam, under German chairmanship, (comp. French President Satkozy's reply to "EuroFora" co-founder's question on the spot). Since then, the Paris-based International Economic Cooperation Organization has progressively augmented its practical contribution to the implementation mainly of G20 goals, while also pursuing, in parallel, a long-awaited Enlargment process opening its doors f.ex. to Russia and other Countries, even if in a somewhat slower than normal pace, goven certain older Member Countries' hasitations to Enlarge fasrter, (or even brutal "Vetos", as f.ex. Turkey's refysal of any cooperation between OECD and Cyprus, even in EU-paid programs, for which Ankara is routinely criticized by the EU).

    Thus, Angel Guria's 2 succesive mandates as OECD's Secretary General (2006-2016) practically coincide with the International Economic Organization's growing contribution to the G8 and G20 Summits' implementation, for which he has appointed as diplomatic "Sherpa" his own personal Office Director, Gabriela Ramos.  

 
    The 5Oth Anniversary Summit of the OECD, earlier last May 2011 in Paris, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the event, at the eve of G8 Summit in Deauville), shortly after inaugurating its functional New Buildings, artfully combined with its Historic "Chateau" inside the same beautiful garden, was largely attended by many Ministers and even Prime Ministers (f.ex. of Japan, Greece, etc) from all over the World, and gave an opportunity to reflect and speculate also on OECD's on-going efforts to complete its Enlargement to Russia and other Countries, in order to better tackle the Historic Challenge of progressively becoming a central Institutional Tool for Global G8 and mainly G20 Heads of State/Government's Summits' decisions monitoring, (comp. Supra).     

PanEuropean CoE in Strasbourg (already enlarged to Russia and other Countries since 1996+) traditionally plays the role of OECD's Parliamentary Forum, during Annual sessions exceptionally enlarged to all OECD Member States, (See, f.ex. supra).

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A complete and more accurate, Final Version is due asap).

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