Brussels, 23/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - Agreement on the Middle East and Macedonia, adoption of a "plan for Africa" and the creation of a World Fund for Health are all positive points resulting from the G8 Summit in Genoa, which came to an end on Sunday morning with the publication of a final press release. These moves forward are not however enough to hide the deep cleavage between the United States and its "allies" over global warming and the missile shield project, or, and above all, the anti-globalisation demonstrations and violence that stole the limelight from the Heads of State throughout the duration of the summit.
The violence brought serious consequences: a 23-year old demonstrator shot in the head by an Italian policeman, over 500 wounded and considerable material damage. Reacting to these events, the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, said: "Genoa was a major summit for violence. This is undeniable and unacceptable". Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian Prime Minister and President in Office of the EU Council of Ministers, for his part, called upon anti-globalisation movements on Sunday to disassociate themselves publicly from the rioters. Considering the plethoric numbers of official delegations taking part in the summits and attracting demonstrators and rioters, as was the case in Seattle in 1999, the "Eight" agreed to meet more discreetly in future. Mr Verhofstadt and Mr Prodi also called for a return to more sober meetings, the latter considering that "we must return to the basics, to the spirit of the first summits, and also engage in dialogue with the civil society in order to avoid the unacceptable clashes that we have witnessed". Mr Verhofstadt addressed Belgium's European partners using the diplomatic bag calling on them to reduce the size of their delegations at the Gent and Laeken summits.
Unlike the forecasts made by certain commentators, the G8 leaders nonetheless managed to make progress on some issues. Consensus was thus reached on the creation of a World Fund against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as action in favour of Africa, even if such action is subject to many conditions that may make it difficult to implement.
There is a political desire by the rich to take part in a partnership action with the African continent. Until now this was not the case, asserted Mr Verhofstadt. The "Genoa plan for Africa", which should take the form during the next G8, will propose paths to develop private investment in Africa, increase internal and external trade by the continent, improve public health, fight against corruption and combat hunger. It will also cover good governance, conflict prevention, health management by companies and new technologies. The "Eight" also agreed over several other points, such as the need to maintain the territorial integrity of Macedonia and that to send international observers to the Middle East. They also called for the opening of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations, which should allow for the further opening of markets. However, the United States and its "allies" did not manage to overcome their divergences over global warming and the American missile shield plan.