G8 leaders meet on remote island.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
G8 leaders meet on remote island.
4
Tue, 06-08-2004 - 10:18am

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1234141,00.html


World leaders were gathering today on a remote island in the US state of Georgia for the annual summit of the G8.


The Guardian revealed ahead of the summit, which begins today and lasts two days, that the prime minister, Tony Blair, had won backing from the US president, George Bush, for an ambitious plan for more generous debt relief for the world's 41 poorest countries.

The move was being seen as a way for Washington to attract more international support for its plans to reconstruct Iraq.

The issue is likely to eclipse the official economic agenda at this year's summit, at Sea Island.

Read the article: Bush backs UN plan for debt relief

However, the US-led coalition in Iraq has already been given hope that the last obstacle to a new UN resolution is about to be cleared, with France hinting that it will drop its lone opposition to the move provided certain military concessions are granted.

co.uk/g8/story/0,13365,1233795,00.html">Read the article: France to back UN draft on Iraq

This is only the second time the G8 powers - the UK, the US, Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, and Canada - have met since the war in Iraq officially ended last year.

The summit comes amid speculation that it might be a watershed in ending international differences about the invasion.

As well as the G8 members, leaders from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan and Yemen have been invited.

Reports suggest White House officials are feeling positive about Iraq after an interim Iraqi government was established last week.

Mr Bush is expected to meet the interim Iraqi president, Ghazi al-Yawer, tomorrow in what officials hope will send a symbolic message of the US intention to give Iraq bona fide sovereignty.

Other business at the summit includes a controversial G8 declaration on promoting democracy and human rights in the Middle East, expected to come tomorrow.

Mr Bush had planned to make a Middle East declaration central to the G8 summit, but this attracted Arab opposition.

The idea is to promote better conditions for the swelling population in the Middle East and give young people opportunities so that they will not be seduced by extremism.

The US national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, told reporters at the G8 media centre in Savannah, 80 miles from Sea Island: "The idea that we were somehow buying stability by turning a blind eye to the absence of freedom has been exposed, and exposed in the form of extremism."

Some of the Arab opposition has centred on objections to US authorship of a declaration that involves issues in which many feel the Arab League should take the lead.

Reports suggest there has been European pressure for more emphasis on the need to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On other topics, summit officials said they intended to announce agreement today on fighting famine in the Horn of Africa, eradicating polio, fighting poverty and developing an HIV vaccine.




· On famine in the Horn of Africa the eight countries were endorsing efforts to improve worldwide hunger monitoring and response efforts, to raise agricultural production and to bring "food security" to 5 million Ethiopians by 2009.

· They were agreeing to take "all necessary steps" to eradicate polio by next year. The disease remains a problem in 15 countries.

· On fighting poverty, they were backing efforts to allow migrant workers to send money home less expensively by halving transaction costs, which can reach 15%. They were placing special emphasis on the Middle East.

· They were announcing a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise programme to accelerate the development of a vaccine against Aids. The initiative would streamline research and development efforts.

Mr Bush was due to hold meetings today with leaders of countries that were critical of the Iraq war: Russia, Canada and Germany.

His first meeting, though, was with the Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, whose country sent hundreds of troops to southern Iraq on a humanitarian mission.

Reports in Japan said that Mr Koizumi was expected to pledge around £6m to boost US-led efforts to promote economic development in the Middle East.


Reports.....


http://www.guardian.co.uk/g8/0,13365,967228,00.html


http://www.guardian.co.uk/globalisation/0,7368,408592,00.html


Useful Links...........


Official Sea Island G8 summit 2004 site
University of Toronto G8 information centre
SavannahG8summit.org
Canadian government: G8 site
No G8 - anti-G8 site
International Festival for Peace and Civil Liberties (anti-G8 site)

cl-Libraone~

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 9:11am

NKOREA SLAMS G8 PLAN.


http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/worldwatch.php?id=87173&wwtype=8


North Korea has hit out at a decision made by the Group of Eight leaders last week that Pyongyang completely dismantle its nuclear development program.

During the course of the three-day G8 summit held at Sea Island, in the US state of Georgia, the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, the US, Japan, Italy, Canada and Russia issued an action plan on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

North Korea was also urged to completely, verifiably and irreversibly abandon its nuclear program.

In response, North Korea has issued a Foreign Ministry statement voicing opposition to the plan.

The statement expressed the Communist regime’s concern that the plan constitutes a unilateral push for nuclear abandonment through forcible inspections, the same situation as that which brought to a head the Iraq war last year.

The Foreign Ministry statement included a threat that Pyongyang may strengthen its nuclear program, saying the G8 initiative gives North Korea grounds to reinforce its nuclear program as a deterrent.

No mention was made in the statement of the next round of six-nation talks due to commence at the end of the month.

NHK’s correspondent reported that North Korea reaffirmed its demand that there will be no freeze of its nuclear program unless the country receives energy and other assistance.

cl-Libraone~

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 11:21am
<>

Here we go again. For me this is rhetoric! Say much do nothing. Two bulls butting heads. This is basically to brighten Bush's position in the world--is that propaganda?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 11:50am

I thought China, Japan & S. Korea were dealing with N.K.


Looks like more chest pounding.... Except.......


Some thought that about the threats to Iraq would make Saddam 'come clean'.


'That worked out well'.

cl-Libraone~

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 12:15pm
<>

That's why the putting it on the agenda for the G-8 is no more than lip-service.

The China, Japan, and Korea talke are in the preparatory stage. Nothing new!

<>

This whole idea is based on faulty intelligence. How could Saddam "come clean" if he wasn't "dirty". I read so many conflicting stories about NK that I simply don't know what to believe. I do think they want help and like before under Clinto they will negotiate and cheat. I believe nothing this administration says, doubt until it's verified.