About the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting
1. Schedule
Date: 12 to 13 June (Wed-Thurs) 2002
Venue: Chateau Whistler, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
2. Ministers from other G8 countries
| Canada: | Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham (First time) |
| French Republic: | Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin (First time) |
| United States of America: | Secretary of State Colin L. Powell (Second time) |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw (Second time) |
| Federal Republic of Germany: | Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (Fourth time) |
| Republic of Italy: | Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Roberto Antonione (By proxy) |
| Russian Federation: | Foreign Minister Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov (Fourth time) |
| European Union: | Spanish Foreign Minister for the EU Presidency Josep Piqué (First time) Commissioner for External Relations for the EU Christopher Patten (Third time) EU Secretary General and High Representative of the Council for Common Foreign and Security Policy Dr. Javier Solana (Third time) |
3. Main agenda items
In addition to counter-terrorism measures and the situation in Afghanistan, it is expected that the Foreign Ministers will discuss arms control, disarmament as well as the regional situation, including the situation in the Middle East and the situation between India and Pakistan.
4. Main Features
Since the 1998 Birmingham Summit, the Meetings of G8 Foreign Ministers have been held one to two weeks prior to the G8 Summit (however, last year in Rome, the Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held directly before the Summit). The G8 Summit this year is planned to be held in Kananaskis, Canada from 26 to 27 June.
The Meeting of G8 Foreign Ministers will this year be held in a closer and more friendly atmosphere, as is planned for the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, and a style will be adopted whereby ministers engage in a free and frank exchange of views. In addition, in contrast to previous years when at the conclusion of the meeting a long communiqué has been compiled, this year Canada, the Chair, will announce a brief Statement.
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