Foreign Minister Franco Frattini: Stabilising Crisis Areas
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Echoing the words of the Prime Minister at the news conference, Foreign Minister Frattini repeated that a number of theme-related G8 meetings are going to be held prior to the July summit. The first such meeting will be attended by the foreign ministers. Frattini explained that the hypothesis of extending the G8 format to include the new emerging economies, which are in fact fully fledged emerging political powers, is currently being explored.
The Foreign Minister explained that one of the main issues on the G8 agenda will be the stabilisation of the world's principle crisis areas, such as the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the course of their meeting, the G8 foreign ministers will be working on drafting a road map for stabilisation, involving also Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey for the very first time.The meeting will also be focusing on non-proliferation and on the need to "halt nuclear escalation", laying the groundwork for the negotiation of a new non-proliferation treaty. The negotiations are due to get under way in January 2010.
The ministers will also be addressing regional crises in Africa, an issue in which Frattini hopes that it will also be possible to involve the leading players in the African Union and in the Arab League.
