Prime Minister Berlusconi Presents the Summit Agenda
07/07/2009
On the eve of the Summit in L'Aquila, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi thanked the sherpas for the "splendid preparatory work" done ahead of the Summit in Abruzzo. The G8 Summit's 10 final declarations, which range from nuclear non-proliferation to the struggle against terrorism, from a sustainable future to the climate, and from Africa to food safety and security, are in fact ready for submission to the world's leaders.
With only hours to go before the Summit officially gets under way, Berlusconi illustrated the issues on which the debate will be focusing over the next three days, highlighting the value of a Summit that has been extended to include the emerging countries - a Summit attended by 40 delegations representing over 80% of the world's economy. Opening the news conference, the Prime Minister was eager to read out the message that Pope Benedict XVI sent the world's eight most important leaders to mark the 2009 G8 Summit, a message in which he also voiced his appreciation of Italy's significant decision to hold the Summit in L'Aquila.
Going on to address the substance of the talks, Berlusconi explained that the working sessions, which are due to kick off in the traditional G8 format on the first day, will gradually be expanded to include the countries in the G5 group plus Egypt, then the member countries of the MEF (Major Economies Forum), and finally, on the third and last day, the African countries and all of the International Organizations, when the talks address the issues of the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The discussion will also include a debate on renewing financial aid to Africa.
Food safety and security is another of the priorities on the World Leaders' agenda. The aim of the Abruzzo G8, the Prime Minister explained, is to launch an initiative designed to address the problem of starvation in the world. Some 10 to 15 billion dollars are expected to be set aside to fund the initiative, which is to be known as "L'Aquila Food Security".
Obviously a great deal of attention will also be devoted to the economic crisis and to the need for new financial ground rules, working on the basis of the Lecce Framework, a body of principles and shared rules designed to ensure propriety, integrity and transparency in the world of international finance. These principles were thrashed out by the G8 Finance Ministers at a prepartory ministerial meeting in Lecce. Berlusconi stressed that it is necessary to take a close look at a global system which simply cannot continue to function on the basis of the last century's ground rules. "We are submitting the 12 points devised by the OECD," he added,"with common standard principles that aim to foster an economy based on morality, ethical integrity and transparency. These points address such issues as the governance of banks, institutes and corporations". All of this, he noted, ahead of the G20 in Pittsburgh. Prime Minister Berlusconi did admit, however, that he is well aware of the fact that a long job lies ahead and that "a great deal of work,involving going into much greater detail, "will inevitably be needed.
Winding up the conference, Berlusconi waxed reassuring regarding security at the Summit venue, the Guardia di Finanza Inspectors' School in Coppito, where a lot of work has gone into restoring the buildings and the gardens, with only environmentally friendly vehicles being used to transport the Heads of State and Government Leaders.
