Pranab Mukherjee an important player within G-20: US

Washington, Sep 22: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is an important player in the G-20 grouping of the top 20 economies of the world, the US said on Wednesday ahead of meetings between finance ministers of these countries here on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank's annual meetings.

Mukherjee, who arrived in Washington late on Wednesday night after a successful day-long trip to New York, is slated to meet US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday at the India-US CEO Forum meetings.

"He (Geithner) looks forward very much to seeing him again in Washington. He saw him a few months ago. They had a very robust dialogue. They've got a very good, close working relationship," a senior Treasury official said.

"And of course, Finance Minister Mukherjee is a very important player within the G-20 as well," the Treasury official said on condition of anonymity, recognising the crucial role being played by Mukherjee in international forums like the G-20, where the US is increasingly looking at India's support to address key global challenges.

On Wednesday, Mukherjee is slated to address two press conferences at the IMF.

After addressing the India-US CEO Forum meeting at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, the Finance Minister would head to the IMF headquarters a few blocks away to hold crucial meetings with his counterparts from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations.

PTI