G8 2005

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G8 2005

Gleneagles Hotel

The G8 Summit began on Wednesday, July 6 with the arrival of World leaders at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire where they were met by First Minister Jack McConnell before travelling north to Gleneagles by helicopter.

First Minister and US President George Bush

FM Jack McConnell greets US President George Bush and his wife Laura at Prestwick.

First Minister Jack McConnell greets Russian President Vladimir Putin

FM Jack McConnell greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at Prestwick.

First Minister Jack McConnell greets Italian President Silvio Berlusconi

Fm Jack McConnell greets Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at Prestwick.

The terrorist bombings in London on the morning of Thursday, July 7, interrupted the Summit and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair flew south to oversee the government's response before returning to Gleneagles the same evening.

The G8 leaders issued a joint statement saying:

We condemn utterly these barbaric attacks. We send our profound condolences to the victims and their families. All of our countries have suffered from the impact of terrorism. Those responsible have no respect for human life. We are united in our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism that is not an attack on one nation, but on all nations and on civilised people everywhere.
We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values. Nor will we allow it to stop the work of this Summit. We will continue our deliberations in the interests of a better world. Here at this Summit, the world's leaders are striving to combat world poverty and save and improve human life. The perpetrators of today's attacks are intent on destroying human life.
The terrorists will not succeed.
Today's bombings will not weaken in any way our resolve to uphold the most deeply held principles of our societies and to defeat those who would impose their fanaticism and extremism on all of us. We shall prevail. They shall not.

World Leaders at G8 Scotland

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair heads up a photograph of, front row: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, (Brazil), Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, (Germany), President Hu Jintao, (China) President George Bush, (USA) Prime Minister Tony Blair (UK) President Jacques Chirac, (France), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, (India) President Vladimir Putin, (Russia), President Vicente Fox Quesada and the back row: Prime Minister Paul Martin, (Canada), Jose Manuel Barroso, (President of the EC), President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, (South Africa) Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, (Italy), Secretary General Kofi Annan, (UN) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, (Japan) and Mr Paul Wolfowitz, (World Bank) at the G8 Summit.

Photo of First Minister giving G8 press briefing Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell also condemned the bombings and sent a message of condolence to the people of London.

The FM's pre-G8 speech at Glasgow University - Can G8 Scotland change the world?

First Minister Jack McConnell hosted a dinner at St. Andrew's on Thursday July 7, 2005, in honour of the visit to Scotland of Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, Rodrigo de Rato, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank Group.

First Minister Jack McConnell at St Andrew's dinner

The African leaders and International dignitaries were joined by a host of high profile guests including Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development, Sir Fred Goodwin of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Dr Brian Lang, Principal of St Andrew's University, Rachel McEwen, Chief Executive of Llyods TSB, and Professor Joan Stringer, Principal of Napier University.

G8 Business

G8 conference table

The Summit discussions centred round climate change, poverty in Africa and international debt.

By the close on Friday, July 8 it was said that 'significant progress' had been made.

Read the details of the outcome at www.g8.gov.uk

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