US President Barack Obama said here on Friday that despite the presence of several thousand protesters on the city streets, the just-concluded Pittsburgh Group of 20 (G20) summit has been a "tranquil G20 summit" compared with previous summit meetings held in other parts of the world.

At a half-hour press conference held shortly after the closing of the two-day G20 summit, the third of its kind since the outbreak of the global financial and economic crisis last September, Obama said the summit "forged new framework for sustainable, balanced growth" of the world through concerted and coordinated efforts.

Asked how he felt about a crowd of some 5,000 people protesting outside the summit venue, Obama said that it was not uncommon for a major international meeting like this to attract protesters.

Actually, he said, some similar meetings have met much more tumultuous response, citing the example of the previous G20 summit in London in April, during which "hundreds of thousands of" people took to the streets to stage massive protests.

Comparatively, this has been a "tranquil G20 summit," said the president, thanking the local organizers for their excellent security work.

He also noted that most of the protesters object to capitalism, the existing global financial system and the free market concept. But he said he disagrees with them as he believes free market is key to global economic growth.

Defending the success of the Pittsburgh summit, Obama suggested the protesters read the communique issued after the conclusion of the meeting. The 23-page document, called the Leaders' Statement, proposed to maintain government stimulus until full economic recovery, boost employment, tighten up financial regulations and give more help to poor countries.

The Group of 20, consisting of the world's richest and key emerging economies, represents 85 percent of the world economy and two thirds of the global population. The previous two summits of the G20 leaders were held in Washington and London in November 2008 and April 2009, respectively.

A peaceful protest involving several thousand people was staged in downtown Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon, just two blocks away from the summit venue.

And on Thursday afternoon, riot police had to fire tear gas at several hundred protesters marching toward the summit venue. Authorities said the march didn't get a city permit and therefore was declared by police as an unlawful assembly.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2009)