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Pres ident Thabo Mbeki arrived in Russia on Sunday ahead his strategic meeting with G8 leaders in St Petersburg today.

President Mbeki, together with the Presidents of India, Brazil, Mexico, and China have been invited to the G8 Summit as Strategic Outreach Partners and will participate in a round table discussion.

President Mbeki will be supported in this regard by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa as well as Advocate Mojanku Gumbi who serves as South Africa's "sherpa" to the Group of Eight, The Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Minister Dlamini-Zuma arrived in St Petersburg on Friday, ahead of the President.

The G8 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. These nations represent about 65% of the world's economy.

On arrival on today and as part of preparations for the strategic engagement with G8 leaders, President Mbeki is expected to hold bilateral discussions with President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China, President Lula da Silva of Brazil and President Vincente Fox of Mexico before a joint meeting of all Strategic Outreach Partners.

South Africa's participation in the G8 Summit comes within the context of the country's commitment to promoting North-South co-operation with a view to advancing the developmental agenda of Africa in particular and the South in general.

Central to the consistent message of President Mbeki, has been the need for the G8 to ensure implementation of its commitments and the successful outcomes of the Doha development round.

In this context, President Mbeki and the Chairperson of the African Union, President Sassou Nguesso have been invited to participate on behalf of Africa, as an integral part of the Strategic Outreach Partners of the G8.

President Mbeki and the other Strategic Outreach Partners will hold discussions with G8 leaders at the Summit convened to discuss, among others energy, security, education and infectious diseases as well as international trade. The Summit will also be shown a presentation on Africa.

The 2006 G8 Summit, being chaired for the first time by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, will integrate the African agenda into all G8 deliberations.

In addition, outcomes of the G8 Summit will continue to be evaluated on their impact on the African developmental agenda and other developing countries.

Meanwhile, the Middle East crisis has taken centre stage at the Summit which started on Friday, with the G8 leaders calling for Israel to show restraint in its actions, after four days of bombing against its neighbour Lebanon.

"Our message to Israel is: 'Look, defend yourself, but as you do so be mindful of the consequences,' so we've urged restraint," US President George W. Bush said.

The world leaders opened their first G8 working session expressing confidence that they would emerge with a consensus position calling for peace - despite differing views on who shares the blame.

President Bush said the international community must address the root causes of the violence taking place in the Middle East.

"This started because Hezbollah decided to capture two Israeli soldiers and fire hundreds of rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon. That's the cause of the crisis," Bush said.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, sitting with President Bush for a bilateral meeting on the Summit's sidelines, said everyone is going to work hard to find a common solution, while French President Jacques Chirac said the G8 nations would call for a show of moderation of all parties involved and for a lasting cease-fire in the Middle East.

The South African government has been clear on its position on the current Middle East crisis, calling earlier this week for resumed negotiations, an end to all hostilities and condemned the civilian casualties.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad, said Government viewed these escalating attacks in a very serious light.

"The attacks are clearly raising tensions in the region to new dangerous heights at a time when both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be looking at ways to end the negotiation deadlock and move the peace process forward.

"In addition, the assaults have led to increasing hardships for the Palestinian people in Gaza and unacceptable civilian casualties, including, reportedly, the deaths of nine members of the same family," he said.

Deputy Minister Pahad added that the South African government strongly condemned the reported Israeli air strike on Beirut International Airport, which put civilian aircraft using the airport at risk and was thus clearly in contravention of international civil aviation safety requirements.

The Deputy Minister's message also concurred with the G8 leaders' calls for Israel to show restraint.

"The Government calls on the Israeli government to refrain from this type of action and, as a major military power in the region, to act with restraint to avoid further civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure," Pahad said.

He also called on the international community to act urgently and decisively to prevent a catastrophe and a possible regional war. - BuaNews

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