KEY POINTS OF G8 FOREIGN MINISTERS’ STATEMENTS
Agence France Presse — English
June 27, 2008
Foreign ministers of the Group of Eight — Britain, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States — wound up two
days of talks Friday in Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto.
Herewith key points of their statements:
— ZIMBABWE: The G8 voiced "grave concern" about the controversial
election and rejected the legitimacy of any government that "does
not reflect the will of the people."
— NORTH KOREA: The G8 welcomed North Korea’s submission of an overdue
declaration on its nuclear programmes but called on it to completely
abolish its atomic weapons and resolve a row over its abductions
of Japanese.
— IRAN: The G8 "strongly urged" Iran to cooperate with UN nuclear
inspectors and suspend its uranium enrichment. Called on Iran to
"act in a more responsible and constructive manner" in the region.
— MYANMAR: The G8 called on the military junta to immediately release
political detainees, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,
and to lift all restrictions on the flow of aid to cyclone victims.
— MIDDLE EAST: The G8 called on all parties to refrain from any
action that would undermine peace negotiations.
— SUDAN: The G8 called for an immediate ceasefire in Darfur and
urged Sudan to hand over war crimes suspects, threatening further UN
Security Council action if it does not comply.
— IRAQ: The G8 condemned "all acts of terrorism and sectarian
violence" and supported the country’s territorial integrity.
— PAKISTAN: The G8 called for support to Pakistan to develop an
"effective counter-terrorism strategy" and to strengthen democratic
institutions. On Thursday, the G8 also pledged commitment to develop
the Afghan border area.
— NAGORNO-KARABAKH: The G8 called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to
exercise self-restraint and make "serious efforts" to work towards
a peaceful settlement of the dispute.