国际英语新闻：U.S., French presidents discuss financial crisis

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy talked over telephone Friday on the current U.S. financial crisis and the overhaul of global economic system, the White House said.

    Bush briefed Sarkozy about ongoing negotiations with congressmen "and expressed confidence that we will get something done," while Sarkozy "reiterated his support of President Bush during this crisis", U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters.

    "The two leaders agreed that the world will need to engage in a dialogue to discuss how business is done in the 21st century, but that the immediate focus must be on securing congressional approval of a rescue plan," Johndroe said.

    The telephone talks between Bush and Sarkozy occurred after the latter called Tuesday for a summit of leaders of the world's main economic powers later this year to examine the lessons learned from the current financial crisis, which he described as the worst since the U.S. Great Depression.

    "It is the duty of the heads of state and government of the countries most directly concerned to meet before the end of the year to examine the lessons of the most serious financial crisis the world has experienced since that of the 1930s," Sarkozy told the opening session of the UN General Assembly's annual debate in New York.