Group of Eight: Thinking, Not Talking

Over the last six months with the global financial crisis at a peak, the G20 summits in Washington and London have eclipsed the Group of Eight (G8) – an elite club of industrialised countries often accused of being a talking shop. This year Italy presides over the G8, but the signs are that nothing much of substance will come from its summit in July and we may have to wait for Canada’s presidency next year to assess the relevance of this international grouping.