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The 2002 summit of the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrialized countries will focus on economic growth, solidarity and mutual assistance as well as international security, French presidential spokeswomen said in Paris Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference, Elysee spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said as the host of the 2003 G8 summit, France wishes to convey such a message to the world through the summit -- to promote development, strengthen solidarity and guarantee security through dialogue and coordination.
The annual G8 summit brings together the leaders of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia for discussion of broad political and economic issues in the developed world.
To strengthen dialogue, France has invited the heads of state or government from 13 countries as well as the leaders of four major international organizations to attend the Enlarged Dialogue meeting with the G8 this year: Chinese President Hu Jintao, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Swiss President Pascal Couchepin, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well as United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, World Bank President James Wolfensohn, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler and World Trade Organization Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi.
On June 1, the heads of state or government from these countries as well as the leaders of the four major international organizations will hold close-door talks with the G8 leaders on cooperation, development, environment, public health and other issues of common concern.
Afterwards, the G8 leaders will hold talks with leaders of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which groups Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal.
According to Colonna, the G8 leaders will focus their discussions on economic and political issues on June 2 and 3, covering the prospects for the world's economic development, global trade, market economy and the prevention and settlement of economic crises as well as regional and international security, the fight against terrorism, measures to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and regional conflicts.
On solidarity and mutual assistance, Colonna said France attaches great importance to the development of Africa, which has been increasingly marginalized amid rapid development of other regions across the world.
France has proposed the theme of solidarity for the 2003 G8 summit in an effort to realize sustainable development of the world by assisting poor countries with such measures as debt relief, increase of aid, provision of medical care and access to water for all.
However, Colonna said that the 2003 G8 summit is unlikely to yield any substantial comment on the recent devaluation of the dollar and appreciation of the euro. Recently, the euro has soared to a new record against a steadily weakening dollar.
The recent devaluation of the US dollar has raised concern in Europe for fear that a fast appreciating euro will dampen exports and snuff out economic recovery.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2003)
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