The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan also attended the meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The G8 states aim to support cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of border security and refugees. Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed that cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan was indispensable for the security situation in Afghanistan.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline / Steins
Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier with his Afghan opposite number Rangin Dadfar Spanta and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (r.)He declared that it is very important to discuss the difficult security situation, but added that, "We must not lose sight of the many changes for the better that have already been achieved over the last five years". Thanks to the combined efforts of the Afghan population with the support of the international community progress includes the right for girls to attend school and a drop in the rate of child mortality.Steinmeier welcomed that fact that joint projects are now being launched by neighbouring states in the region in the fields of security, refugees and economic development.
Opinions can vary but we share a common goal
The Kosovo question was discussed at some length; the G8 states have not yet managed to agree on a common line here.
As Steinmeier said after the meeting , the question of the status of Kosovo calls for a compromise that will give the people of Kosovo "the chance to live in peace and liberty", irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.
Here, the international community must walk the tightrope between the demands of Kosovo on the one hand and Serbia on the other. Kosovo should move from de facto independence to legal independence.
In the nuclear stand-off with Iran , the G8 foreign ministers remain concerned, said Steinmeier. The recent scaling-up of Iran's nuclear programme has done nothing to de-escalate the situation. The foreign ministers agreed that the pressure on the Iranian government must be maintained. They called on Teheran to stop uranium enrichment.
The security situation in the Middle East was also a common concern of the foreign ministers. They agreed that the Palestinian leadership must put an end to the inner-Palestinian violence and to rocket attacks on Israel. Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on all parties to "put an end to the upward spiral of violence".
Declaration on the rule of law
The rule of law was another important point on the agenda of the meeting of G8 foreign ministers. The arbitrary exercise of power, a lack of legal protection and corruption undermine international stability and act as an obstacle to economic and social development in many countries around the globe.
In a joint declaration, the G8 ministers agreed to pursue the topic further. In the second half of this year a conference is to be held with international representatives and representatives of civil society.
Originally the G8 focused primarily on global economic problems. Soon, however, foreign- and security-policy issues forced their way onto the agenda. The world expects the largest and wealthiest democracies to get involved and help resolve the numerous crises around the globe. Last year in St. Petersburg talks were overshadowed by the war in the Lebanon between Israel and the Hezbollah. In the St. Petersburg Declaration the G8 managed to point a new way forward for the Middle East, which was then taken up by the United Nations.
As foreign- and security-policy becomes increasingly important for the G8, the role of foreign ministers too has shifted. While initially they met along with the heads of state and government, for the last ten years they have held their own meetings, without their "bosses" – and they meet more frequently. And because crises and conflicts tend not first to consult the busy diaries of heads of state and government, the meetings of foreign ministers and of their political directors have long taken on their own momentum. They make use of these meetings to consult and coordinate activities at regular intervals. Sporadic meetings have now become a genuine process – the G8 foreign minister process.