REFLECTIONS OF PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO: The G-8 meeting

FOR those who are not informed –and I am one of them – G-8 refers to the group of most developed countries, including Russia. The anticipated meeting which begins in 6 days has awakened great expectations due to the profound political and economic crisis threatening the world.

Let's read the news services.

The German news agency DPA announces that the German minister of Transportation and Urbanism, Wolfgang Tiefensee, declared "that the European Union countries have agreed on a common strategy."

"The European ministers of Urbanism meeting in the eastern city of Leipzig in an informal council under the motto of 'Urban Development and Territorial Cohesion’, will employ a common strategy for the protection of the environment and the halting of climatic change."

"For example," Tiefensee warned, "in the south of Europe the summer temperatures are expected to increase by up to six degrees, while on the coasts we can expect strong winter storms.

"The drought threatening Spain and the lack of water in Poland are two more examples of the challenges facing the European Union, the German added at the end of the council."

Meanwhile, AFP reports that "the German minister of the environment, Sigmar Gabriel, judged it to be ‘very difficult’ that in the next G-8 summit any success could be achieved in the matter of climatic warming due to United States opposition."

"Germany will be the host country to the summit which will be held on June 6 to 8 in Heiligendamm with the eight most highly industrialized countries on the planet.

"Even though there are many in the United States who would like to see another kind of policy on climatic warming, ‘unfortunately, Washington prevents’ such a position to materialize, according to the German Social-Democratic minister.

"The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, will put forth a ‘strong signal’ about the need to act urgently on this matter; the United States administration multiplies its opposition signals."

Reuters, the English agency, reports: "The United States has refused the German proposal to see that the Group of Eight agrees to tougher restrictions for carbon emissions that are producing global warming, according to the draft of the communiqué which will be presented at the meeting.

"The United States still has serious and fundamental concerns about this declaratory draft, to which Reuters had access.

"Treatment of climatic change goes completely counter to our position and crosses many ‘red lines’ in terms of which we simply cannot be in agreement, explained the American negotiators.

"This document is called FINAL, but we were never in agreement with any of the climatic language present in the text," they added.

"Germany would like an agreement to contain the increase of temperatures, in order to cut back global emissions by 50 percent lower than 1990 levels for the year 2050 and to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent for 2020.

"Washington rejects all those objectives."

While Blair declares that he would persuade his friend George, the only thing certain is that he has added another submarine to the three that are now being built in Britain; with this, the expenses for sophisticated armaments increase by another 2.5 billion dollars. Perhaps someone with one of those new computer programs developed by Bill Gates could calculate the resources being used for war expenses at the cost of education, healthcare and culture for humanity.

George must say what he really thinks at the G-8 meeting, including the subject of the dangers threatening peace and food for human beings. Someone should ask him and he should not try to escape with the advice of his friend Blair.

Fidel Castro Ruz

May 29, 2007.

6:45 p.m.