Interview with John Curtain

John Curtain from the G8 research group in Toronto spoke to Russia Today on the possibility for the so-called G5 to enter the present Group of Eight in future and commented on the current Russia-U.S. and Russia-Britain relationship.

Russia Today: You have been analyzing this summit so far, as well as the previous ones. How is it shaping up and was there any concern regarding the spat that seems to be taking place between Russia and the U.S.?

John Curtain: I think Heiligendamm is going down as a historic summer for the great breakthrough on climate change, for the outreaching inclusiveness in the Heiligendamm process, bringing the new emerging powers, China and India, further into the club, and I think we will hear big new announcements of more money mobilised for Africa. So, great achievements are not overshadowed by any bilateral name-calling in the lead-up to the summit. That is an old summit ritual, that is so easy for people on both sides of the North Pole to start lobbying the old Cold war slogans in the lead-up to the summit, and both in Russia and the U.S. elections are coming up. But when the two leaders, President Putin and President Bush, sit down face to face, they know they have so much in common, so many common enemies, that they get down to business at the issue of what to do together about Iran, North Korea, other broader Middle East and also Kosovo.

RT: Will it be the same at the bilateral meeting of Russia