The G8 summit will concentrate on trends in the global economy, with a special focus on the situation in the euro zone. The heads of state and government will also be looking at food security in Africa among other issues. The summit is to be held on 18 and 19 May in Camp David, in the USA.

The Chancellor and her European opposite numbers will be reporting on the reforms undertaken to master the euro crisis.

The strategy of the euro-zone states, the Chancellor declared, builds on debt reduction and growth. The EU is thus not only working assiduously to consolidate national budgets, which is the precondition for stable growth. Special measures designed to foster growth and create jobs are also crucially important. At Camp David the Chancellor will also be advocating a reaffirmation of the G8’s commitment to free trade.

"Growth through structural reforms makes sense. It is important, it is vital. Borrowing money to finance growth measures on the other hand would throw us right back to the beginning of the crisis. That is why we must not resort to this, and we will not resort to it," said the Chancellor.

For a binding climate change mitigation agreement

Climate change mitigation and energy supplies are also on the summit agenda. The German government will be calling for a new and binding UN climate change mitigation agreement, underlined the Chancellor.

Help towards self-help in Africa

"Reducing debt, strengthening competitiveness, generating growth and employment, fighting hunger in the world and protecting the global climate – all these issues demonstrate what globalisation is really about in the 21^st century," declared Angela Merkel. No country in the world can tackle the major challenges of our time on its own.

Partnership with Africa is a G8 tradition. This year there will be a focus on the financial commitments of the G8 states with a view to achieving food security. The USA is planning a "new alliance" with six sub-Saharan African states. "We must not, under any circumstances scale back our engagement, and we will not be doing so," said Angela Merkel referring in particular to the African continent. The prevailing environment for help towards self-help is to be improved with the help of private-sector investment.

The Group of Eight (G8) is an informal forum of heads of state and government of eight industrialised countries. It is not an international organisation. It has neither its own administrative structures nor any permanent representations of member states. Because of these informal structures, the G8 presidency is always extremely important. The country holding the presidency is responsible for organising the summit meeting and setting the agenda. This year the USA hold the G8 presidency. The member states of the G8 are Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States of America, Canada (since 1976) and Russia (since 1998). The European Union is also represented at all meetings.

NATO summit meeting in Chicago

Following the G8 summit, Angela Merkel will be attending the NATO summit meeting in Chicago on 20 and 21 May. The main points on the agenda will be NATO’s engagement in Afghanistan, and the military capabilities and partnerships of the alliance.

Summing up the results of engagement in Afghanistan

"We came in together and we will be leaving together," declared Angela Merkel reaffirming the plan for a joint withdrawal of the ISAF troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. This was agreed at the last summit meeting in Lisbon in 2010. "The Taliban have been weakened, and we can see the number of attacks dropping, " said the Chancellor. The ranks of the Afghan security forces will swell this year to a total of 352,000 soldiers and police officers. The quality of the security forces has improved palpably, she stated. Their response to the most recent attacks in Kabul is ample proof of this.

The process of handing over responsibility for security from NATO to Afghanistan by the end of 2014 is proceeding apace. About half of the Afghan people live in areas already controlled by Afghan forces, she said. The role of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is shifting increasingly away from an operational role to a support role.

After 2015 the focus will be on training and advising Afghan security forces. Germany is also prepared to provide financial assistance. The long-term support of the international community for Afghanistan was agreed at the Bonn conference held in November 2011. In return Afghanistan is expected to make the efforts required. This will include improving governance and making every effort to stamp out corruption.

A special thanks

The Chancellor expressed her special thanks to all soldiers, police officers and civilian helpers. Under extremely difficult conditions, and often at great personal risk, they are making a valuable contribution to stabilising and developing Afghanistan.

The summit meeting will begin in the afternoon on 20 May with a meeting of the North Atlantic Council. The 28 heads of state and government will discuss how to ensure security in future in view of existing financial constraints. In the evening the focus will be on NATO’s continued engagement in Afghanistan post-2014. The agenda also includes a discussion of the future of the alliance itself, under the motto NATO 2020. The second day of the summit will kick off with a meeting of the states that have provided troop contingents for Afghanistan. A total of 57 nations will be represented, as well as the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank. The summit will conclude with a meeting with 13 selected partners in order to discuss joint security challenges.

Missile defence system not targeted against Russia

At the summit meeting in Chicago the alliance will declare the first stage of its missile defence system to be in place. The missile defence shield is to be extended gradually until 2020. Once complete it should provide the entire NATO territory with protection against ballistic missiles. Germany has offered to contribute the mobile Patriot system of the Federal Armed Forces said the Chancellor.