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The Group of Eight (currently known as Group of Seven) is a governmental political forum. It was originally formed by six leading industrial countries and subsequently extended with two additional members – one of which, Russia, has been suspended.〔(FACTBOX: The Group of Eight: what is it? ), Reuters〕 Since 2014 in effect it comprises seven nations and the European Union. The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the Group of Seven or G7 in 1976 with the addition of Canada. The G7 is composed of the seven wealthiest developed countries on earth (by net national wealth or by GDP), and it remained active as a finance ministers' forum even during the period of the G8. Russia was added to the political forum from 1997, which then became known as the G8; Russia was, however, suspended in 2014. The European Union has been represented within the G8 since the 1980s but originally could not host or chair summits.〔Until recently, the EU had the ''privileges and obligations'' of a membership that did not host or chair summits. It is represented by the Commission and Council presidents. (【引用サイトリンク】 EU and the G8 )〕 The 40th summit was the first time the European Union was able to host and chair a summit. "G8" can refer to the member states in aggregate or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union. G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers. Collectively, in 2012 the G8 nations composed 50.1 percent of 2012 global nominal GDP and 40.9 percent of global GDP (PPP). Each calendar year the responsibility of hosting the G8 is rotated through the member states in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place. Both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the group to include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five (O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil (7th country in the world by nominal GDP,〔) People's Republic of China (2nd country in the world by GDP,〔) India (10th country in the world by GDP,) Mexico, and South Africa. These countries have participated as guests in meetings that are sometimes called G8+5. With the G-20 major economies growing in stature since the 2008 Washington summit, world leaders from the group announced at their Pittsburgh summit on September 25, 2009, that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations. Today, G8 meetings are held with the purpose of discussing global issues such as economic growth, crisis management, global security, energy, and terrorism without the governments of the newly industrialized countries, who have their own major forum (BRICS).〔http://www.cfr.org/global-governance/group-eight-g8-industrialized-nations/p10647〕 On March 24, 2014, the original G7 nations voted to, in effect, suspend Russia from the organization in response to the country's annexation of Crimea;〔http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/world/europe/obama-russia-crimea.html?hp〕 however, it was made clear that the suspension was temporary. Later on, the Italian Foreign Affairs minister Federica Mogherini and other Italian authorities,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Italy hopes G7 returns to G8 format - Foreign Ministry )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Italy working for Russia return to G8 )〕 along with the EastWest Institute board member Wolfgang Ischinger,〔(Amb. Wolfgang Ischinger Urges Inclusion of Russia in G8 )〕 suggested that Russia may restore its membership in the group, adding that the return to the G8 format depends on Moscow and on Russian actions. ==History== The concept of a forum for the world's major industrialized countries emerged prior to the 1973 oil crisis. On Sunday, March 25, 1973, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, George Shultz, convened an informal gathering of finance ministers from West Germany (Helmut Schmidt), France (Valéry Giscard d'Estaing), and Britain (Anthony Barber) before an upcoming meeting in Washington, D.C. When running the idea past President Nixon, he noted that he would be out of town and offered use of the White House; the meeting was subsequently held in the library on the ground floor.〔Shultz, George P., ''Turmoil and Triumph: My Years as Secretary of State, 1993, p. 148 ISBN 0-684-19325-6〕 Taking their name from the setting, this original group of four became known as the "Library Group".〔Bayne, Nicholas ''et al.'' (2000). ''Hanging in There,'' p. 34.〕 In mid-1973, at the World Bank-IMF meetings, Shultz proposed the addition of Japan to the original four nations, who agreed.〔Shultz, ibid.〕 The informal gathering of senior financial officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan, and France became known as the "Group of Five."〔Farnsworth, Clyde H. "A Secret Society of Finance Ministers," ''New York Times.'' May 8, 1977.〕 During 1974 the heads of state or government of the top 10 industrial nations fell due to illness or scandal: There were two elections in the UK, three chancellors of West Germany, three presidents of France, three prime ministers of Japan and Italy, and two U.S. presidents; moreover, Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau was forced into an early election. Of the members of the Group of Five, all were new to the job with the exception of Pierre Trudeau. As 1975 dawned, Schmidt and Giscard d'Estaing were heads of government in their respective countries, and since they both spoke fluent English, it occurred to them that they, and British Prime Minister Harold Wilson and U.S. President Gerald Ford could get together in an informal retreat and discuss election results and the issues of the day. In late spring, Giscard invited the heads of government from West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States to a summit in Château de Rambouillet; the annual meeting of the six leaders was organized under a rotating presidency, forming the Group of Six (G6). In 1976, with Wilson out as prime minister of Britain, Schmidt and Gerald Ford felt an English speaker with more experience was needed, so Canada's Pierre Trudeau was invited to join the group 〔() ''G8: The Most Exclusive Club in the World'', Thomas S. Axworthy, ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', Historica Foundation of Canada, Toronto, Undated. Accessed 07-23-2015.〕 and the group became the Group of Seven (G7). Since first invited by the United Kingdom in 1977 the European Union has been represented by the president of the European Commission, and the leader of the country that holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Council President now also regularly attends. Until the 1985 Plaza Accord no one outside a tight official circle knew when the seven finance ministers met and what they agreed. The summit was announced the day before and a communique was issued afterwards. Following 1994's G7 summit in Naples, Russian officials held separate meetings with leaders of the G7 after the group's summits. This informal arrangement was dubbed the Political 8 (P8)—or, colloquially, the G7+1. At the invitation of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President Bill Clinton,〔("Russia — Odd Man Out in the G-8", Mark Medish, ''The Globalist'', 02-24-2006 ).Accessed: 07-12-2008〕 President Boris Yeltsin was invited first as a guest observer, later as a full participant. It was seen as a way to encourage Yeltsin with his capitalist reforms. Russia formally joined the group in 1998, resulting in the Group of Eight, or G8. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Group of Eight (G8)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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