G7 and G8: The Role of Russia

Denver 1997 was the ‘Summit of the Eight'; Birmingham was the first G8 summit. The immediate consequence was Yeltsin's conclusion that Russia was now eligible to host a future summit. He bid to do this in 2000, taking over Japan's turn that year. Hashimoto refused this; but Yeltsin pressed his point, saying that he wanted to host a summit no later than 2000, when his presidential term expired. A rather tense discussion on the last morning was concluded by Clinton saying that he had an idea, which he would send round to his colleagues later. He did not elaborate; but one way out would be for the G8 leaders to meet twice in 2000, once in Japan and once in Russia.

Russian integration into the G8 makes progress; they made real contributions to the discussions on crime and employability and even on debt, as they are now in the Paris Club. But this process is still incomplete. During the preparations, there were occasions when the Russians tried to water down economic commitments which the other seven could accept; though this has not visibly weakened the summit documents. As in the past, Yeltsin sought to make Russia more involved in the G8 by proposing meetings to be held in Moscow. Over the next year there will be such meetings on crime and the millennium bug, following the energy ministers meeting of 1998 and the nuclear summit of 1996.

The G7 remains vigorous and necessary, at the level of heads as well as finance ministers. The G7 were in fact more active at Birmingham than at Denver the year before. The Russians do not like it, but are obliged to accept it; and the G7 have not been deterred by the risk of Russian displeasure.