JAPAN: Leaders of the eight industrialized nations will be addressing the food crisis, rising oil prices, and global warming at the G8 Summit, which kicks off in Toyako, Hokkaido on Monday.

US President George W Bush is scheduled to leave Washington on Saturday for his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. They are expected to discuss the main issues to be addressed at the G8 Summit.

At the top of the agenda are the food crisis, rising oil prices, and global warming.

Washington has avoided specifying a target to cut CO2 emissions and it would be a coup for Mr Fukuda, as the G8 host, if he can get a specific commitment from Mr Bush. That could help to persuade China and India to follow suit, and realize a 50 per cent reduction by 2050.

In terms of bilateral issues, there is speculation that Mr Bush may push Mr Fukuda to take charge of changes to the US military presence in Japan. This includes the relocation of the Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, which the two countries agreed to accomplish by 2014.

Masashi Nishihara, President, Research Institute for Peace and Security, said: "1995 was the beginning of discussions and 12 to 13 years have already passed. We only have six years left, but nothing has actually been resolved yet. If this was a source of tension between the two countries, then it will affect the alliance between the two countries."

The North Korean issue is expected to top the agenda for Japan. Critics here have been unhappy with North Korea's declaration as it did not indicate its nuclear weapons.

There were also concerns after the US decided to take steps to remove North Korea from its list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Mr Nishihara said: "As a result, the abduction issue perished from US protocol. Although the US government said US will not forget, the Japanese government feels it's lost a source of pressure to settle the issue. Some Japanese people feel betrayed by the US or at least a mistrust towards America."

The least Japan can hope for is to receive US support to put down in the G8 Summit declaration the need to resolve the abduction of its citizens in the 1970s and the 1980s. - CNA/vm