Singh, Obama to visit Toronto in June next year for G20 summit

The two leaders will be here for the June 26-27 meet of the G-20 developed and developing nations, official sources said. It will be the first visit of Prime Minister Singh to Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already announced that he is moving next June's meeting of world leaders to Toronto from Huntsville.

Ottawa, which was recognised as the original destination, lacked sufficient resources to host an estimated 10,000 participants, a spokeswoman said. "Toronto is one of the few places in Canada that could host something of this magnitude," said Mayor David Miller.

The downtown Metro Toronto Convention Centre will be the venue for the G-20 summit, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone said. Canada will also chair the smaller Group of Eight summit next year. The G8 summit will be held immediately before the G20 meetings, on June 25 and 26 in the resort town of Huntsville, Ontario, about 200 kms north of Toronto.

The last G-8 summit, which Obama hosted in Pittsburgh in September, decided to shift the main focus for economic decision-making from the G-8 to G-20.