What is G8 plus 5?

Answer 1

The G8+5 group of leaders consists of the heads of government from the G8 nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), plus the heads of government of the 5 Leading Emerging Economies (Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa). Foundation The G8+5 group was formed in 2005 when Tony Blair, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in his role as host of the 31st G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, invited the leading emerging countries to join the talks. The hope was that this would form a stronger and more representative group that would inject fresh impetus into the trade talks at Doha, and the need to achieve a deeper cooperation on climate change. Following the meeting, the countries issued a joint statement looking to build a "new paradigm for international cooperation" in the future. Following the 33rd G8 summit Heiligendamm 2007, the chancellor Angela Merkel announced the establishment of the "Heiligendamm Process" through which the full institutionalization of the permanent dialogue between the G8 countries and the 5 Greatest Emerging Economies will be implemented. This will include the establishment of a common G8 and G5 platform at the OECD. Source courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8%2B5