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WASHINGTON: US President George W. Bush left Washington Saturday for
the Group of Eight (G8) meeting in Japan, where he aims to highlight
Africa’s battles against hunger and deadly diseases and assuage
Japanese concerns over his North Korea policy.
Leaders of the eight major industrial powers
meet starting Monday at the northern island of Hokkaido’s Toyako
resort, where they are reportedly set to agree on a new system of
“food reserves” to assist hungry nations.
According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, each of
the G8 members—Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Russia and the United States—will contribute grain to the global
reserves.
Bush has said he would use the summit to press
for progress on global efforts to fight climate change, promote free
trade, and push G8 leaders to make good on pledges to help Africa
fight HIV/AIDS and other illnesses.
“We need people who not only make promises,
but write checks,” said the president on Wednesday. He will
celebrate his 62nd birthday on July 6 in Japan.
Bush was also expected to hold bilateral talks
with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as well as leaders of
Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa,
South Korea and seven African “observer” countries.
In addition to trying to revive global free
trade talks, Bush hoped to win more support for a hard line on
Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Burma’s military rulers, while
soothing Japanese anger at US policies toward North Korea.
“We are at a very pivotal point in the
six-party process and the president [Bush] and the prime minister of
Japan will want to compare notes and make sure we are working the
same page,” said Dennis Wilder, National Security Council’s
director of Asian affairs, aboard Air Force One en route to Japan.
Bush moved last week to take North Korea off the
US list of state sponsors of terrorism, effective in 45 days, in
response to North Korea’s accounting last week of its nuclear
programs.
Some Japanese reacted angrily, accusing him of
forgetting about the fate of Japanese abducted by North Korea.
Bush said Wednesday of North Korean leader Kim
Jong Il that “expectations are that he will move forward, action
for action” under a six-country diplomacy to address nuclear
proliferation, and abduction issues.
“If they choose not to move forward on an
agreed upon way forward—action for action—there will be further
isolation and further deprivation for the people of North Korea,”
he said.
Looking at the nuclear disputes with Iran and
North Korea, Bush told Japanese media outlets, “Diplomacy has got
to be the first choice of solving any of these problems. But
military options remain on the table.”
White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino told
reporters Saturday that the United States would “consult with our
allies about what Iran’s response means,” before commenting on
Tehran’s answer to a plan from six world powers offering Iran
technology and negotiations if it suspends uranium enrichment.
Tehran has not released the details of its
response.
The US president was also to push leaders at the
July 7 to 9 summit to cope with the global food crisis by boosting
shipments of food, fertilizers and seeds to afflicted countries and
to reduce barriers to bio-engineered crops.
“It’s one thing to talk about the problem;
this is a practical way to help countries deal with the lack of
food,” said Bush.
The Asahi Shimbun has reported that the G8
countries will create a new system of food reserves in the wake of
this year’s conflux of shortages and soaring prices in basic
grains and other foodstuffs, leading to food riots in some
countries.
The system would be modeled on oil reserves
designed by the International Energy Agency to lessen the danger of
oil shocks, the newspaper said.
G8 countries would be obliged to take part in
the system and to release grains such as rice, wheat and corn at a
time of crisis.
Bush will also make the case that no global
climate change pact can work unless “greenhouse gas”-producing
developing nations like China and India accept some form of
long-term goals for curbing emissions.
Bush, who will appeal for continued help in Iraq
and Afghanistan, was also expected to tackle fears over the battered
US economy, including the weak US dollar, cited as a factor in
soaring dollar-denominated oil costs.
-- AFP
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