Interior ministers from the powerful Group of Eight (G8) nations begin meetings Monday in Paris to discuss the important issue of drug trafficking, specifically trafficking of cocaine across the Atlantic Ocean.
The two-day meeting is being presided over by French Interior Minister Claude Gueant, as France currently holds the rotating G8 presidency, official sources said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet with participants on Monday evening, his office announced here.
Justice Ministers from several nations are also expected to attend the talks and several non-G8 participants will also be present, organizers said.
These will include representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean, which are focal points for cocaine production and transport to the United States, Europe and elsewhere.
There will also be delegations from West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco, Algeria and Europe.
A number of international and regional organizations will also be present, including Interpol, Europol, the European Commission, the World Bank and several UN bodies, among others.
The Paris meeting is expected to formulate „an action plan“ that will be submitted for approval by G8 leaders at the forthcoming Summit meeting in Deauville later in the month.
Source: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2165233&Language=en
