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G8 Foreign Ministers Discuss Key International Issues at Meeting in Potsdam
The Foreign Ministers of the G8 states gathered in Potsdam on May 30 for discussions on international issues ahead of the G8 Summit in Heilgindamm, June 6-8. They held an open and intensive discussion on Kosovo's future status, in which they expressed their desire for international solidarity. The Ministers want to continue talks on the issue and come to a common solution. According to delegation sources, the G8 Foreign Ministers also share concerns about the tense situation in the Middle East. They were in agreement that internal strife in Gaza should come to an end and that Israel should suspend its airstrikes. "The spiral of violence must stop," Federal Minister Steinmeier said. The Ministers encouraged further talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas. They urged the Palestinian Authority to fulfill the demands of the Middle East Quartet and called on Israel to unfreeze Palestinian tax revenue and customs duties. Regarding Lebanon, the G8 Foreign Ministers underscored the importance of implementing the UN Resolution and stabilizing the country. They expressed support for the legitimate and democratic government of Lebanon and said dialogue was necessary to overcome political logjams. They also backed the creation of a tribunal in the Hariri assassination.
Foreign Minister Sergej Lawrow reported on the Minsk Group's efforts to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabkh conflict. The G8 emphatically supports these efforts. The Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan attended in the afternoon. The G8 wants to support cooperation between these two countries, particularly with regard to improving border security, resolving the refugee problem and developing the border region. The rule of law is a major concern of the G8 Foreign Ministers that goes beyond national or regional boundaries. The focus is on the importance of the rule of law for transnational commerce and sustainable development and as an element of conflict-prevention and post-conflict strategies. At the beginning of today's meeting, the ministers unanimously adopted a declaration on the rule of law. A specialist conference on this subject involving representatives of civil society and international players is to be held sometime during the second half of this year. The G8 Foreign Ministers will meet again in November under the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative (BMENA) to discuss the strengthening of development and reform in the Near and Middle East. Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier intends to make another important foreign and security policy topic — energy security — the subject of a conference of the G8 Foreign Ministers and the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Mexico, India, China and South Africa; this conference will be held in December. Since 1998 the G8 Foreign Ministers have met at a different time and in a different place from the Heads of State and Government. This so-called G8 Foreign Ministers Process has since taken on an increasingly independent role. May 31, 2007 source: Foreign Office
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