Leaders of G8 countries arrive in Gleneagles ahead of summit

Leaders from the countries of the Group of Eight (G8) arrived successively on Wednesday in Gleneagles, a village 65 kilometers north to Edinburgh, to attend the annual summit while thousands demonstrating outside Gleneagles Hotel, venue of the meeting.

Africa and climate change were put on the top of the meeting agenda by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who presides over the group in the year of 2005.

Britain asked the G8 countries to double aid to Africa, by an extra 25 billion US dollars per annum by 2010, then an additional 25 billion US dollars per annum by 2015

The European Union has committed to double its aid from 40 billion US dollars last year to 80 billion US dollars by 2010. The United States has offered to add an extra 4.5 billion US dollars while offers from Canada and Japan appear to take the total to 47 billion US dollars.

Last month in London, financial ministers of the G8 countries reached plans that match 100 percent bilateral debt write off with 100 percent multilateral debt cancellation for 38 African countries.

The G8 leaders are expected to approve the plans and asked by Blair to set aside 0.7 percent of gross national income as aid.

Given America's adamant opposition to the science consensus on global warming, little hope can be pinned on the results from the talks on climate change by leaders from the most industrialized countries.

The United States did not adopt the Kyoto Protocol, treaty agreed by more than 100 countries in 1997, which asks the developed countries to cut greenhouse emission 5.7 percent less than the level of 1990.

For the economic cost Bush refuses to concede on the issue of climate change till now.

The group of richest countries are agitated by the economic emergence and energy consumption of major developing countries.

China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, are invited to talk with the G8 leaders on Thursday.

Blair called on other seven countries of the group to work in partnership with the major emerging economies, to reach consensus on how to deal with the climate change challenge in the future.

Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Anna, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the head of World Bank Paul Wolfowitz are also invited to join the summit meeting.

Later Thursday, Queen Elizabeth, along with Duke of Edinburgh, will greet the leaders from the G8 countries and host a dinner.

Security is extremely tight in and around Gleneagles Hotel compound, with more than 10,000 British policemen on guard.

In the afternoon, thousands of protestors are demonstrating on the edge of the compound of Gleneagles.

Earlier in the day, more than 100 activists, many clad in black and covering their faces with bandanas and wearing hoods, streamed out of a makeshift campsite in Stirling in central Scotland, 22 kilometers southwest of Gleneagles.

Source: Xinhua