Friday, 29 August 2008

Globe Trotters

Nancy Pelosi

Hiroshima visit

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visits Japan. In Tokyo she meets Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yohei Kono. She is expected to travel to Hiroshima for a meeting of the G8 lower house leaders, becoming the highest-ranking US dignitary to visit the city -- where she will lay flowers at a monument to the atomic bomb victims (Japanese news agency Kyodo).

Samak Sundaravej

Fukuda meeting

Embattled Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej visits Japan, meeting with counterpart Yasuo Fukuda (Japanese news agency Kyodo).

Indian flag

Nuclear negotiators

The forty five-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group reconvenes in Vienna to consider giving approval to India's civilian nuclear energy agreement with the United States; the previous meeting ended inconclusively on 22 August (Indian news agency PTI).

Carl XVI Gustaf

Sweden-Ukraine relations

Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf visits Ukraine, meeting with President Viktor Yushchenko (Ukrainian news agency UNIAN).

Dick Cheney

European tour

US Vice-President Dick Cheney visits Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan during a European tour that will also take in Italy (Russian news agency Interfax).

Collective Security Treaty Organisation

Central Asian security

A summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) takes place in Russia. The CSTO members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (Official website).

EU Flag

Emergency summit

A special EU summit takes place in Brussels. The summit was called by French EU presidency to discuss aid to Georgia and the future of the EU's relations with Russia (French news agency AFP).

Nicolas Sarkozy

Syria stop

French President Nicolas Sarkozy pays a visit to Syria (French news agency AFP).

Evo Morales

Mid East Tour

Bolivian President Evo Morales visits Libya and Iran. The visits aim to strengthen bilateral ties with the two countries. Morales is hoping to conclude "important" investment agreements. (Bolivian News Agency)

Michel Suleiman

Lebanon-Qatar relations

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is expected to visit Qatar (Lebanese Hezbollah Al-Manar TV).

John McCain

Convention time

US presidential candidate John McCain attends the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. McCain will be confirmed as the official candidate for the Republican party in the upcoming Presidential election (Global sources).