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G8 Gets Underway in France Thursday

   VOA News  May 26, 2011
   Men work near a G8 backdrop as preparations continue ahead of the G8
   summit in Deauville, northern France, May 25, 2011

Photo: Reuters

   Men work near a G8 backdrop as preparations continue ahead of the G8
   summit in Deauville, northern France, May 25, 2011

   U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders are gathering in
   Deauville, France Thursday for the G8 summit, which is likely to focus
   on Japan's nuclear crisis and popular uprisings in Arab states, as well
   as global economic issues.
   President Obama is expected to use the summit to reinforce his call for
   support of political and economic reforms in the Middle East and North
   Africa.
   This is his first major world meeting since delivering a landmark
   speech in Washington, in which he promoted the idea.
   It is also the first major meeting since Dominique Strauss-Kahn
   resigned his post as head of the International Monetary Fund, opening
   up international discussion about who will fill his post.
   French President Nicolas Sarkozy is chairing the meeting of eight
   leading economies in the French resort town.
   Earlier this week Obama spent three days in Britain, where he discussed
   global issues with Prime Minister David Cameron. The two agreed that
   allied military operations in Libya will continue until leader Moammar
   Gadhafi stops attacking civilians and gives up power.
   Speaking in London Wednesday at a joint news conference, Obama said
   there will be no letup in the pressure on Gadhafi. He later told the
   British parliament that the U.S., Britain and their allies "stopped a
   massacre in Libya" and will not relent until what he called "the shadow
   of tyranny" is lifted.
   The European Union said Wednesday it will increase its aid to 16
   countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the former Soviet Union,
   but that the aid will be linked to their progress toward democracy.

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