25th G8 summit

File:G8-Staatschefs im Römisch-Germanischen Museum.jpg

Heads of delegation meeting in the Roman museum in Cologne, underneath them an ancient roman mosaic

The 25th G8 Summit was held at Cologne, Germany between June 18th and 20th, 1999.

Leaders at the Summit

• Canada - Jean Chrétien
• France - Jacques Chirac
• Germany - Gerhard Schröder
• Italy - Massimo D'Alema
• Japan - Keizo Obuchi
• Russia - Boris Yeltsin
• United Kingdom - Tony Blair
• United States - Bill Clinton

Priorities

File:Logo COLOGNE 1999.gif

Logo of the 25th G8 summit in Cologne, Germany.

Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-national civil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign.

Trivia

President Bill Clinton paid the Kölsch brewery Zur Malzmühle ("The Malt Mill") a surprise visit. Originally, the Clinton entourage had approached Herr Lommerzheim, owner of Gaststätte Lommerzheim (aka "Lommis") in Köln-Deutz, across the river. When asked to close his Kneipe so Clinton could have a quiet drink there, Lommerzheim reportedly replied that he would do no such thing, since it would mean his regulars would have no place to go have a drink. The Clinton entourage then had to contact Malzmühle on short notice.

The summit was held in several locations in the old town of Cologne. After baggage checks, visitors and local people were allowed up to five meters distance from the statesmen on their walk through the old town. The heads of government were greeted with waving and some clapping on their way past, a scene very much in contrast to those of the G8 summits that were about to follow in the coming years.

See also

• G8

External links

Media related to 25th G8 summit at Wikimedia Commons

• Official 25th G8 summit website
• University of Toronto G8 project