U.S. treasury secretary says significant risks remained to world economy

LONDON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday that significant risks remained to the world economy but major economies had found a strong consensus to fight the crisis.

"We have done a great deal domestically ... but there is a lot of uncertainty," Geithner told reporters after talks with British Finance Minister Alistair Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London.

However, he also said major economies largely agreed on the measures that needed to be taken to stimulate economic activity and "I think we have remarkably strong consensus in place on core elements."

Darling said that British economy should return to growth in 2009 although the fate of the global economy remains uncertain.

"I remain confident that our economy will see growth return at the end of the year," Darling told reporters after meeting Geithner who is on a stop in London on his way to visit the Middle East.

Darling announced that London would host a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of 20 nations in London on Sept. 4-5. The meeting will take place ahead of a meeting of G20 leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States on Sept. 24-25.