"The president wanted to get a first-hand assessment from these leaders about their views on their own economies and the global economy as well," the official said on Tuesday.

Clinton spoke with Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien, Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, the official said.

The conversation focused primarily on the global economy, although Clinton also discussed developments in Russia and Iraq with Chretien, the official said.

He offered no details of the discussions, except to cite Clinton's call on Monday for the finance ministers and central bank chiefs of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations and 15 emerging market countries to meet in Washington within a month to craft long-termsolutions to the financial crisis.

The president said in his Monday's speech that world leaders' highest priority should be to restore growth and stimulate the global economy.