OTTAWA — While Japan has made climate change, shocks to the world economy and African development the central themes of next week's Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be trying to make sure his fellow leaders also talk about Afghanistan, his foreign policy priority.
Mr. Harper will also seek to avoid being cast as obstructionist on climate change and to move G8 leaders to the Canadian position that big developing greenhouse-gas emitters such as China and India must be included in any new treaty.
U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are already allies in Canada's efforts to pressure Pakistan to control its porous border with Afghanistan and adjacent tribal areas where the Taliban frequently seek refuge.
But Canada has little diplomatic leverage with Pakistan's unstable government, and Mr. Harper is looking for concerted international help and assurances that Afghanistan remains a priority for G8 leaders.
“I expect the Prime Minister will want to have a very thorough discussion on Afghanistan, where things are and … the importance of the international community putting its shoulder to the wheel to ensure we have success there,” a senior government official told reporters at a briefing this week.
Japan, this year's summit host, might resist efforts to give more space to political hot spots such as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe at the expense of its carefully laid agenda. Japan initially placed climate change at the forefront, although Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has increasingly stressed another theme, the economy, as the rise of oil and food prices has shaken countries around the world.
But climate change will remain a priority for several countries. The Europeans would like to see the G8 emulate their targets for reducing greenhouse gases by 20 per cent by 2020 (from their 1990 levels). They are expected to be opposed by the United States, which has resisted firm targets, and Canada, which has a much lower midterm goal. However, Mr. Harper has sought to portray Canada as a bridge builder rather than a U.S. ally in resisting advances toward a new climate-change treaty.
Mr. Harper will face pressure to contribute to new climate-change investment funds aimed at financing technology to allow developing countries such as China and India to reduce greenhouse gases.
Although Finance Minister Jim Flaherty hinted last month that Canada might agree, Canadian officials were coy this week about whether Mr. Harper would pledge money at the summit.
A key goal for Mr. Harper, according to government officials, is to push the G8 for stronger acceptance of the principle that major developing emitters such as China and India must be included in a new treaty, and face real targets, even if they are not the same as those for developed nations. That would allow him to claim some progress in bringing together the opposing views of Europe and the U.S., rather than siding with Mr. Bush.
Hopes for ambitious breakthroughs on any issue at this summit will probably bump up against tentative political ground many of the leaders hold. Mr. Bush will be attending his last G8 and other countries are looking past him to potential bolder action on climate change by either Barack Obama or John McCain.
In addition, Mr. Fukuda's tenure is shaky, both Mr. Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will face uncertain elections next year, and Mr. Harper leads a minority government.
The G8 includes Britain, Canada, the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. Japan has also invited Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa to a parallel summit on climate change on July 9.
