The timing of the missile-intercepting test by the United States just a few days ahead of the commencement of the G-8 summit is a message to the other participants in the summit being held in the Italian city of Genoa. It is the typical American way of applying pressure to get its demands accepted and its interests protected in the summit.
The US administration blames the policies of the European Union for delaying the pace of the world’s economic progress. The charge was rejected by the G-8 finance ministers in their July 7 preparatory meeting in Rome. The US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil had to defend his country’s policies, which he claimed to help revive the sagging world economy.
In a bid to salvage part of his country’s lost glories, Russian President Putin met Chinese President Xiang Zemin on July 16 a couple of days before the summit. They signed a historical treaty to explore ways to restore the international strategic balance. Russia also wants to continue the ban on the proliferation of antiballistic missiles which was signed between the erstwhile Soviet Union and the United States in 1972, though the US is keen on abrogating it.
The Russo-Sino treaty is a strong signal to the United States on how Russia and China feel about the revival of the NMD program. Putin has made it sufficiently clear that Russia possesses the technology to foil the American designs. China has also voiced its displeasure at the American plan and accused the US of ignoring the international concerns about NMD.
The American administration’s provocative policies with total disregard for the world opinion is pushing the world to the brink of a second Cold War while the world economy is suffering from various ailments increasing the number of poor nations.
After the signing of the treaty between them, Russia and China are not likely to remain spectators. They will jointly evolve some strategy to counter the American project.
The European Union has also come out in the open against the American scheme. Belgian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Louis Michael stated that EU has decided to continue enhancing its own defense capabilities, with particular stress on policies which guarantee peace and stability in the region without outside help.
The Belgian minister also expressed EU’s disapproval of a situation in which the security and defense of the region would be determined by a country outside the geographical boundaries of the union. He emphasized the EU’s determination to preserve its total independence including movements and crisis management.
Whatever maybe the outcome of the Genoa summit, one thing is sure: There will be no agreement on important issues. No goodwill come out of the summit except that the rich nations will remain rich and poor will continue to mire in their poverty and backwardness. No meaningful solution to the problems of the Third World countries can be expected from a summit which is concerned with the issues of the wealthy and ways to increase their rate of profits. The globalization in a unipolar world will only serve the interests of the rich and powerful nations.
