THE TELEGRAPH: The G8 leaders said it was important to accelerate efforts to make sure the Afghanistan's own security forces can "assume increasing responsibility within five years."
The leaders of the world's eight top industrial democracies also condemned the alleged sinking by North Korea of a South Korean warship and calling on Iran to do more to respect human rights.
The countries — the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia — added that current tensions in Gaza were "unsustainable."
But the joint statement by the so-called Group of Eight powers did not go as far as some nations, including the United States and Japan, wanted.
The joint statement was released at the end of a meeting in Canada of the eight powers and before a larger group of 20 nations convenes that also includes fast-growing economies like China.
The leaders turned to foreign policy matters after finding themselves at odds on how to continue to spur world economic growth in the aftermath of the worst recession since the 1930s. The countries were divided over whether to continue government stimulus spending, as the United States wants, or to cut mushrooming deficits, as Europe and Japan want. G8 sketch out a five-year exit strategy on Afghanistan >>> | Saturday, June 26, 2010
