23rd G8 summit

The 23rd G8 summit was held from June 20 to June 22 1997 in Denver, Colorado. The locations of previous G8 summits to have been hosted by the United States include: San Juan, Puerto Rico (1976); Williamsburg, Virginia (1983); and Houston, Texas. The G8 is an unofficial forum which brings together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada (since 1976), Russia (since 1998),Saunders, Doug. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080704.wG8-analysis05/BNStory/International/columnists "Weight of the world too heavy for G8 shoulders,"] "Globe and Mail" (Toronto). July 5, 2008.] the President of the European Commission (since 1981). [Reuters: [http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKB26280520080703?sp=true "Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it?"] , July 3, 2008.]

Composition of summit leaders

The core membership of the G8 has remained constant since Russia joined the talks at the 1997 summit in Denver.

*flagicon|Canada Canada - Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
*flagicon|France France - President Jacques Chirac
*flagicon|Germany Germany - Chancellor Helmut Kohl
*flagicon|Italy Italy - Prime Minister Romano Prodi
*flagicon|Japan Japan - Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
*flagicon|Russia Russia - President Boris Yeltsin
*flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom - Prime Minister Tony Blair
*flagicon|USA United States - President Bill Clinton

Priorities

Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-national civil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign.

Menu

The summit dinner offered buffalo, trout and fried squash blossoms filled with wild mushrooms and rattlesnake meat. [CNN: [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9706/21/g8.summit/index.html Summit leaders take on the world's problems] ]

References

ee also

*G6 and G7

External links

* G8 Research Group: [http://www.g8.utoronto.ca G8 Information Centre] ,University of Toronto
* Official G8 website: [http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic/summit/g8.html "Denver Summit of the Eight"]