Moscow refuses to give its green light to the independence of Kosovo

The Russia that openly threatens pointing its missiles on Europe to counter the deployment of the US shield on the Continent. The United States who strongly oppose any objective encrypted as greenhouse gas emissions reduction would like to introduce the European Union. Moscow refuses to give its green light to the independence of Kosovo. Washington accuses Moscow of having "derail the reforms promised to hand power to the people..." The Summit of the heads of State and Government of the eight industrialized countries (G8), which opens today in Heiligendamm, on the shores of the Baltic, in Germany, promises of more strained. Rarely in recent years, this global track was prepared under bad auspices. The US President have assured, yesterday, during a stopover in Prague, en route to the Germany, the "cold war is over" and "The Russia is not our enemy", the climate may be icy until Friday in the seaside resort of the former GDR.

And the results of the meeting may not be up to the hopes that the German Presidency of the G8 was placed. Berlin entered the fight against climate change and aid to Africa as priority issues.

Few results to wait

On climate, the gap between European countries and the United States, primarily, not will probably not filled in the coming days. Despite the announcement by George w. Bush, last week ("Les Echos" from June 4), a plan to combat climate change. Since the US administration is not quantifiable and binding objectives contemplated to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Even China, which President will participate in some of the G8, by revealing itself its own ambitions in this area, has not registered to targets last Monday. If the international community welcomed the US efforts, he fact remains that as President Nicolas Sarkozy ("Les Echos" from June 5) she asked another step on the part of the United States.

On Africa, here again, the results of the Summit are likely to be disappointing. If the G8 countries, as they committed were in July 2005 the Scottish Summit of Gleneagles, set aside a large part of the multilateral debt of poor countries, the development assistance patina. However, rich countries should renew their commitment to do more to the black continent and refer, above all, the current crisis in Darfur. The G8 leaders could discuss trade sanctions against the regime in Khartoum.

On purely economic issues, the eight should commend good current economic conditions, while reiterating their message on the need to correct trade imbalances between the United States and China primarily. "The undervaluation of the Chinese yuan will be remembered in a manner very... diplomatic", as explained yesterday afternoon Bernd Pfaffenbach, the Chancellor, real linchpin of this G8 "sherpa", more and more controversial German (read below).

On the issue of "hedge funds", which the Germany would better like to mentor, he should expect no concrete decision. "The Germany chairs the G8 until the end of the year, progress in this direction can probably be made after Heiligendamm," stresses yet cautiously the entourage of Angela Merkel.

Only the arrival in the conclave of the new French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and the last appearance of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who will leave his position at the end of the month, perhaps dérideront the atmosphere. Failing to produce tangible results.