World Watch: Bush feels pressure won't be on him at G-8 summit
President Bush is said to feel that the pressure will be off when he attends the Group of Eight economic summit in Scotland starting Wednesday night. On Tuesday, Bush flew to Denmark on Air Force One to spend a day with officials of the northern European ally that has, at least broadly, supported U.S. actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. On Wednesday, Bush attends the G-8 summit in the mountain resort of Gleneagles in Scotland.
American presidents usually take center stage at the annual conference, which brings together the leaders of the seven richest industrialized democracies (the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan) plus Russia. But this time, White House officials tell U.S. News, the focus will be more diffuse. "President Bush will not be the centerpiece of the drama this time," says a senior Bush adviser. He points out that the host—British Prime Minister Tony Blair—has raised expectations that he will push through an agreement for a huge aid package for African nations. On another key topic, the leaders differ on what to do about global warming, with Bush the most resistant to tough environmental countermeasures such as those contained in the Kyoto climate protocol, which the United States has not joined. There are deep differences among the Europeans over the future of the European Union. And some leaders, notably those of France and Germany, are having serious political problems at home.
Still, Bush has his own agenda. He will try to steer the discussions to topics such as the war on terrorism and the Mideast peace process, according to administration aides.
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