G8 to be G 10?

Without India and China the world powers club will not soon be able to solve global problems. Russia is going to bring new countries to G10

Ivan Stupachenko St Petersburg

St Petersburg, the second largest city of Russia, located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, is home for Russian President Vladamir Putin. This beautiful tourist destination, an erstwhile capital of Russia during 1712-1918, was run over with security personnel on July 15,16 and 17 as leaders of G8 descended on it for their summit meeting. It must be recorded that till a few years ago Russia was not even part of the charmed circle. Once it was in, it is pressing for an expansion of the body to G10, including India and China. The summit was held here as Russia this year holds the presidency of the G8, which also includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada.

Residents of the usually laid-back and calm St Petersburg were alarmed at the excess of security that encroached upon taken-for-granted daily freedoms. Even tourists looked a bit unnerved. In the zeal to protect the leaders of the G8, the only local airport was closed for three days running. Air traffic was diverted through Moscow and Helsinki, capital of Finland. Police and army personnel in thousands were deployed in the city. The roads through which participants and journalists travelled to Strelna, the city’s suburb and venue of most of the meetings, were lined with armed policemen. All roads to Strelna were closed to any vehicle that was not related to the summit.

Overhead, Russia’s air force was encircling the air space over St Petersburg. One submarine was on duty just near Strelna. The powerful Russian missile navy kept guard over the coast, ensuring that no unauthorised vessel could dare come near the participants. The meetings themselves were held at the Konstantinovsky (Constantine) Palace, a great house that is separated even from those living in Strelna by high iron hedges and the officers of the Russian secret service. It is reported that several arrests were made by the police while the summit was on.

Thus suitably protected, the world leaders of the G8 were going to discuss routine global issues concerning energy, fighting infectious diseases, the Iran nuclear issue and innovative education. But contemporary events prompted that the Israel-Lebanon conflict be placed centrally into the agenda. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and Putin raised the issue of Israel’s missile blows on Lebanon. French journalists at the press briefing by Chirac had questions only around this theme.

The official statement on the crisis is already much-publicised. The leaders called upon both sides to stop armed hostilities, return captured soldiers and to begin peaceful negotiations. The statement urged Israel to show restraint and avoid casualties to innocent civilians, and damage to civilian infrastructure, and similar other acts.

But lesser known is the politics behind the statement. It was obvious to observers in Strelna that the leaders were taken unaware by the contingency and did not know exactly how to react. There were also differences between them. US President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice argued that Israel was well within its rights to protect itself, and would do anything to protect its sovereignty. Others pointed out that the act of freeing three soldiers did not require Israel to pound Lebanon with missile blows. It was said that Israel's missile strikes at Lebanese infrastructure were not directly linked to the search for its abducted soldiers.