A New Year, New G8 Leader, New African Additions

The New Year brought a new leader to preside over the G8 as Japan stepped down, and with the new year comes new tasks that lie ahead for the G8.

Egypt will be invited the first Arab country to the G8 summit, although the North African country refused a previous invite in 2004. Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi said he wants more involvement from G14 countries – including Egypt – as their economies could represent 80% of the global total and a majority of the world’s population.

In addition to the planned expansion of the summit (which also includes South Africa), the G8 will be taking a more in-depth look at climate change with the final goal to establish an effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol which is due to expire in 2012. Nuclear energy will also be the center of the talks to be held from July 8-10 as the G8 countries agreed that the transfer of equipment, facilities, and technology to any additional state will be subject to conditions that require no duplicate facilities be constructed.

The Italian government also specified that it will put a special focus on African issues including food safety and sustainable agricultural development.