While US President George Bush will be seeking above all to reinforce a coalition against terrorism when the leaders of the world's top industrialised nations meet in Canada today, the agenda will be dominated by a new partnership plan aimed at development on the African continent.
The Group of Eight (G8) leaders began arriving last night in the isolated Rocky Mountain ski resort of Kananaskis, Alberta. The first day will be taken up with talks on global economic conditions and the fight against terrorism.
Tomorrow they will be joined by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and five African leaders including South African president Thabo Mbeki, who will have a unique chance to convince the leaders of the world's richest nations that they must do more to end poverty and to promote development in Africa. Also vying for space in the three modest ski-lodges in Kananaskis will be European Commission President Romano Prodi and the president of the EU Council, Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar.
The summit is chaired by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, who moved the location from the capital Ottowa after violent protests at last year's G8 meeting in Genoa. It is being guarded by 1,200 police officers and 5,000 troops equipped with anti-personnel carriers, tanks and CF18 fighter jets.
Unable to get near Kananaskis because of possibly the largest peacetime security operation in Canada, protesters plan to fan out today to demonstrate in several Canadian cities against globalisation. Thousands are expected to stage a march to "take the capital" in Ottowa, and to fill the streets of Calgary, in Alberta.
Anti-G8 groups claim the rich nations are concerned only with protecting the interests of big business.They may be under pressure over its unilateralist tendencies in the war against terrorism, on trade and on international treaties.
