Nevertheless, I will try to avoid to paint too dismal and depressing a picture and instead will focus on things that we can learn from our recent experiences, to contribute towards a better future. The mood in the global economy has changed from almost over-exuberance to the depths of a recession in less than two years.
We are certainly experiencing unprecedented events and the actions taken to restore stability and trust in the global financial system are surpassing previous ones. Judging from the programme of your conference, we expect that these issues will be discussed in greater detail over the next two days.