G8 Summit, 100,000 Anti-Globalization Protesters

The Group of 8 Summit of the world`s most powerful leaders opened spectacularly around 9 a.m. yesterday as the participating leaders arrived by helicopters at the talks at the Hotel Royal in Evian, France.

The G8 in which Russia and 7 western advanced nations, the U.S., Japan, France, Germany, Britain, Canada and Italy participate as official members discusses the war on terrorism, the growth of the global economy, post-war Iraq and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction until June 3.

The leaders of the G8 are also expected to urge North Korea to give up developing nuclear weapons completely and verifiably, observe the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. In addition, they will urge peaceful resolution of North Korea`s nuclear crisis and ask the related countries of the crisis such as South Korea, Japan and Russia to participate in the 3-way talks in Beijing.

Besides the leaders of the G8, leaders from 12 countries, such as Chinese President Hu Jintao, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad were also invited. They had a meeting yesterday before the G8 summit and discussed global issues such as economic growth and the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and the battle against AIDS.

The matter of greatest interest at the G8 summit held for the first time after the war against Iraq is how much the damaged relationship caused by the US-led war between the U.S. and Europe could be repaired. Among the G8, the U.S., Japan, Britain and Italy took a major role in the war while France, Germany, Russia and Canada were strongly opposed to it.

President George. W. Bush had a one-on-one meeting with Chinese President Hu and will have the first summit with French President Jacques Chirac today to repair the U.S.’ damaged relationship with Britain and Europe.

President Bush arrived in France yesterday and will leave Evian one day earlier than the other leaders. He will leave today to visit the Middle East, but some officials suggest that it signifies U.S.` discontentment against France which is opposed to the U.S. led war.

However, French government officials opposed to the interpretation and said “President Bush promised to repair the damaged relationship with France in an interview with French Daily Le Figaro.”

Meanwhile, security has been reinforced and about 30,000 French and Swiss soldiers and police surrounded the conference center thoroughly as the meeting commenced yesterday. 100,000 anti-globalization protesters gathered to thwart the summit but couldn`t get to around Evian due to tough security headed to Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland and cities in France to continue their protest today which started on May 30.

Jei-Gyoon Park phark@donga.com