G8 chiefs met yesterday to call for an end to the violent repression of revolts in Syria and Libya and express solidarity with their partner Japan as it recovers from nuclear disaster.
According to a draft version of their planned declaration, the leaders of the world’s richest nations were also to urge immediate Israel-Palestinian peace talks and back a government role in policing the internet.
A massive security operation involving 12,500 police and gendarmes, backed by boats and spotter helicopters, smothered the chic resort of Deauville on the northern French coast as the leaders arrived at the seafront venue.
The declaration was discussed over lunch and at an afternoon round-table session hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy for the leaders of Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Addressing Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the leaders urged Damascus to end violent repression and carry out reform, as they sought ways to encourage democracy in their first meeting since the “Arab Spring” uprisings.
“We call on the Syrian leadership to stop using force and intimidation against the Syrian people and to engage in dialogue and fundamental reforms in response to the legitimate expression of the demands of the Syrian people,” the draft, obtained by AFP, said.
G8 member Russia had previously spoken out firmly against foreign intervention in its traditional Middle East ally, and earlier this month rejected calls for a special UN Security Council meeting on the country.
Japan intends to host a global meeting on nuclear safety with US atomic energy watchdog IAEA late next year, Prime Minister Naoto Kan told the lunch meeting, where G8 leaders expressed their solidarity with the Japanese.
Mr Kan said the summit would take place in Japan, where he said the nuclear situation was “gradually stabilising,” according to a Japanese official.
“Businesses and tourism are working as usual. Excluding the area surrounding the nuclear plant, radiation levels, including in Tokyo, are dropping and they are absolutely unharmful to humans,” he added.
Nuclear safety is high on the summit agenda following the March earthquake in Japan, which triggered a tsunami killed 25,000 people and flooded the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
G8 leaders would express “heartfelt sympathy” to the people of Japan during the lunch, said the draft
Amid a slew of bilateral discussions, Russia and France finalised an unprecedented deal for Paris to sell four powerful modern warships to Moscow, in a move that may worry some European and post-Soviet nations.
Mr Sarkozy and his Russian guest Dmitry Medvedev said the protracted talks would soon result in a firm contract.
“All talks have been completed. The contract will be signed shortly,” Mr Medvedev said. Mr Sarkozy said the signature would take place in a fortnight.
Mr Sarkozy took time out to hail the arrest of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic as “a step towards Serbia joining the European Union” after a 16-year manhunt for the world’s most wanted warcrimes accused.