Prime Minister Harper Arrives In Japan For G8
Posted July 6, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The ruckus that often follows Group of Eight (G8) summits has not disappointed in Japan.
The three-day meeting, which sees influential leaders from around the world coming together, will be hosted in a popular resort town beginning Monday.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived Sunday morning and met with his Japanese counterpart, Yasuo Fukuda.
The group is expected to discuss the environment, but Environment Minister John Baird says he doubts any firm goals for greenhouse gas emissions reductions will be decided.
Opinions on how to tackle climate change vary greatly among G8 countries. Some European nations want to pinpoint specific reduction targets, but others like Canada, the United States, and Russia, are resistant to setting goals unless big polluters like China and India are also limited.
The economy is also expected to be on the group’s agenda.
Meanwhile, protesters have begun to collect around the leaders, getting set to voice their concerns about even holding the gathering.
The controversial meeting is often wrought with protests; the most notable was in Seattle in 1999. The message from dissenters is usually focused on problems they say are caused by globalization and capitalism, including poverty and environmental issues.
The first G8 summit was held in Paris in 1975, and it has continued annually since then.
The participating countries in this year’s summit are as follows:
- Canada
- Japan
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Russia
- The United Kingdom
- The United States
- The European Union
