G8 summit opens with spotlight on aid for Africa, food and Zimbabwe

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-07 14:43

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (R) shakes hands with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a greeting ceremony hosted by Fukuda on the first official day of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, at Lake Toyoko in Hokkaido Prefecture, northern Japan, July 7, 2008. [Xinhua]

"I don't understand the criticism," said Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama. "The G-8 leaders are very aware of the commitments they have made to African leaders."

The related topic of soaring food prices was another key topic on the agenda at the summit, with some experts predicting that the leaders would announce a food aid package and possibly funds to invest in agricultural development in poorer nations.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he has received international support for his idea of creating an experts group to tackle the global food crisis, similar to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Sarkozy has also urged the G-8 to expand to take in China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico, saying it is unwise to keep them on the sidelines. Sarkozy told the Yomiuri newspaper on Monday that, "at the least," those countries should be brought in for a full day of discussions at the summits. This year, these countries have been invited for a half-day of talks, on Wednesday.

Germany's Merkel has said the leaders will confer on how to toughen sanctions against Zimbabwe, and hoped that they would get support from African colleagues.

South African President Thabo Mbeki, whom Zimbabwe's opposition has accused of favoring Mugabe, and Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua are scheduled to meet with the G-8 leaders. Also invited are the leaders of Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania and the chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Talks were expected to shift Tuesday and Wednesday to climate change as leaders try to move forward UN-led talks aimed at forging a new global warming accord by the end of 2009. The negotiations have stalled because of disagreements over what targets to set for greenhouse gas reductions.

It was unclear whether nations would be able to agree to a goal of cutting their emissions by 50 percent by 2050. A more ambitious goal of setting nearer-term targets for 2020 was considered well beyond reach.

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