G8 Leaders Release Statement on Regional IssuesLeaders of the Group of Eight (G8) countries released a joint statement on regional issues Friday at the end of their first day summit meeting.Concerning the trilateral summit meeting on a peace between Israel and Palestine, the G8 leaders applauded the intensive efforts by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, with the mediation of U.S. President Bill Clinton, to reach agreement on all permanent status issues. "We underline the importance of resuming the activities of the multilateral working groups, recognizing that progress in the multilateral tracks is related to and supports the bilateral tracks," said the G8 leaders in the statement. The leaders also condemned any violent attempts by extremists and terrorists to interfere with the Middle East peace process, calling for a cessation of support for such violence. On the Balken issues, the leaders called upon all parties concerned in the region to refrain from violence and to promote further their mutual co-operation, and reiterated the importance of promoting harmony among ethnic groups and create the conditions for co-existence among all communities. The G8 countries are Britain, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Germany and Russia. While reiterating their commitment to support Africa's quest for peace and stability, the leaders said that Africa must mobilize the political will to prevent and resolve armed conflicts. |
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