|
Chirac embarrass bush at g8 Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/22/wevian22.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/05/22/ixworld.htmlhttp://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/22/wevian22.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/05/22/ixworld.html
Chirac to embarrass Bush at G8 conference
By Philip Delves Broughton and Pav Akhtar in Paris
(Filed: 22/05/2003)
President Chirac is preparing to embarrass President Bush at the forthcoming G8 summit in France by laying out an agenda heavy on environmental, development and economic issues and light on the fight against terrorism.
The summit at Evian on June 2 and June 3 will be the first time M Chirac and Mr Bush have met since their diplomatic war preceding military action in Iraq. However, M Chirac, as the host, is arranging the meeting on his terms.
He made clear yesterday that, despite the debacle over Iraq, he is clinging to his vision of a global balance of powers, with France as an alternative to America.
He said Evian's main goal would be "to build the institutions and rules of a global democracy, open and interconnected", a swipe at the American administration, which has little patience for such rhetoric.
The main themes of the summit would be reviving the world economy, solidarity with poor countries, responding to pandemics such as Aids, climate change and finally the fight against terrorism.
The White House would have preferred the fight against terrorism to head the list, but M Chirac is loath to let the summit become a victory lap for Mr Bush.
M Chirac said the summit was a chance for "nations to show that they can and want to get along, to act together in the service of mankind". He believes many countries are suspicious of America's leadership and prefer France's emphasis on international rules and institutions.
He added that the summit should offer a "message of confidence" in the world economy. The G8's members (France, America, Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada and Russia) were "determined to pursue the structural reforms which improve the efficiency of our economies" and "resolved to lower taxes and social charges to free the creative energies for growth and employment".
It was important to reaffirm "the principles of the responsible market economy" after so many financial scandals in Europe and America and to complete the Doha round of world trade talks.
That last ambition, coupled with M Chirac's talk of Third World development, will raise smirks in Whitehall, since it is his refusal to reform Europe's common agricultural policy to the detriment of French farmers which has crippled Third World agricultural exporters trying to crack the European market.
M Chirac's speech came the day before France was expected to vote in favour of a United Nations resolution lifting sanctions against Iraq.
French diplomats remain baffled and exasperated at how the Americans have frozen them out since the Iraq war. But they hope the successful passing of the resolution will restore Washington's confidence in the UN.
On Tuesday night anti-globalisation groups announced plans to sabotage the summit. France is to close Evian to all but the participants, but the protesters hope to harness the anti-war movement for large demonstrations as close to Evian as they can get.
On the eve of the summit, 50 fires will be lit on the nearby Lake Léman to create a "lake of fire". Anarchists are planning an "anti-capitalist, anti-war" village.
|
|
