WASHINGTON (AFP) — Ex-secretary of state Madeleine Albright and former Republican congressman Jim Leach will meet delegations attending the global economic summit on behalf of president-elect Barack Obama, a spokesman said Wednesday.
"This weekend's summit is an important opportunity to hear from the leaders of many of the world's largest economies," said senior Obama foreign policy advisor Denis McDonough in a statement.
"There is one president at a time in the United States, so the president-elect has asked Secretary Albright and Congressman Leach, an experienced and bipartisan team, to be available to meet with and listen to our friends and allies on his behalf."
Obama's team has already said the president-elect will not attend Saturday's summit of the Group of 20 rich countries and major developing economies and will not hold any meetings with world leaders in Washington for the talks.
The summit called by US President George W. Bush will discuss measures to address the global economic meltdown and ways to prevent future crises.
Albright was secretary of state under the Democratic administration of president Bill Clinton, and Leach has served as a congressman for 30 years and was a chair of the banking and financial services committee.
McDonough said the details of who the two would meet would be released later, and they would brief Obama after their meetings.
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