World leaders wrestle with eurozone fix at G20

World leaders struggled to inject confidence into the global economy at a G20 summit in Mexico dominated by the spiraling European debt crisis that is spooking markets and paralyzing growth. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon welcomed US President Barack Obama, newly returned Russian leader Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to a conference center in the hills above the resort of San Jose del Cabo. Two days of talks began with US officials saying there had been a clear change in European thinking towards more growth-friendly policies and Obama saying he was "encouraged" by what he had heard of Europe's plans. To build confidence in the frail global economy, the Group of 20 major powers said they "will act together to strengthen recovery and address financial market tensions," according to a leaked draft communique. "All G20 members will take the necessary actions to strengthen global growth and restore confidence," it said. The optimistic language, however, could do little to hide the dismal economic backdrop, with Spain's sky-high cost of borrowing stealing the focus after the brief respite provided by Greece's positive election result. In Sunday's pivotal polls in debt-ridden Greece, parties committed to the terms of their European Union and IMF-led bailout held off a strong challenge by a leftist anti-austerity party. The International Monetary Fund has indicated that it could now be open to a renegotiation of Greece's 130-billion-euro ($165 billion) bailout program. Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, senior US Treasury official Lael Brainard said "there is ample room for both sides to sit back down" and hammer out a new deal giving Greece "some more time" to meet its obligations. Hopes that the Greek vote would help the single currency bloc turn a corner were dashed as attention moved onto the fragile economies of other EU members and Spanish borrowing costs soared to levels seen as unsustainable. Italian and Spanish stocks plunged and the euro fell against the dollar. Obama, who fears the turmoil in Europe will drag down the broader world economy and torpedo his hopes of re-election in November, was to hold a separate meeting with European Union leaders to address the crisis. "The president was encouraged by what he heard regarding ongoing discussions in Europe about the path they are pursuing to address the crisis," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters after Obama met Merkel. Merkel, leading Europe's largest economy, has emphasized financial responsibility, while Obama, along with French President Francois Hollande, have put a focus on growth. "We're seeing a noticeable shift in the European discussion regarding the critical importance of supporting demand and job growth," Brainard said. Merkel gave no indication that she was about to abandon her hardline stance on the austerity measures Europe imposed on indebted eurozone members, which some argue have sabotaged economic growth. "Elections cannot call into question the commitments Greece made. We cannot compromise on the reform steps we agreed on," she told reporters on arrival at Los Cabos, a tourist haven on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Merkel said that full details of plans to extricate Europe from its vicious cycle of debt would not be revealed until the European summit at the end of the month, but that she expected a "good" G20 summit. In a sign of the underlying tensions, though, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso bristled when questioned on European credibility and issued a fierce defense of the bloc's handling of the crisis. "Frankly, we are not coming here to receive lessons in terms of democracy or in terms of how to handle the economy," he said. India and Russia each pledged $10 billion on Monday for a projected $430 billion IMF firewall fund that is meant to prevent future crises, marking a new level of commitment by emerging economies as they seek a greater voice. Keenly watched at the summit, which runs through Tuesday, was the head-to-head meeting between Obama and Putin, their first since Putin's return to the Kremlin in May. The two appeared cordial but formal meeting with the media after two hours of talks. They issued a joint call for an end to violence in Syria and said its people should be allowed to democratically decide their future. Obama sees his "reset" of relations with Russia as a key achievement, despite Putin's often strident anti-Western rhetoric, but the two leaders remain far apart on many issues.