Leaders from the world's major industrialised nations will attempt to address deep divisions on global warming and various foreign policy issues during their upcoming meeting on the Baltic coast for a G8 summit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is hosting the event at the Kempinski Grand Hotel in Heiligendamm, has been working diligently to pave the way for progress in combating climate change. However, her efforts seem futile following US President George W. Bush's recent announcement of his own climate strategy, which contradicts the approach favored by Merkel and other European leaders. Merkel has expressed the belief that the United Nations should take the lead in global efforts to tackle climate change, rather than individual countries or groups. She anticipates a challenging summit ahead, stating, "We will grapple with climate change until the last minute." It will be apparent that there are varying opinions because some things may not be included in the final document. Despite the lack of agreement on climate issues, the German hosts are likely to redirect the focus of the June 6-8 meeting towards Africa. G8 countries, facing criticism for not meeting promises made at a summit in Scotland two years ago to help combat poverty in Africa, are expected to reconfirm their commitment to doubling development aid by 2010. The G8, consisting of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States, will also announce increased funding for AIDS prevention in Africa. However, disagreements on major global issues may overshadow areas of agreement, even if leaders manage to avoid public disputes. Contentious foreign policy issues include US plans to deploy a missile shield in central Europe and a push by the United States and Europe to grant effective independence to Kosovo, the breakaway Serbian province. Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly opposes both initiatives and has engaged in combative Cold War-style rhetoric in recent weeks, causing concern among German hosts about a potential confrontation with President Bush. However, recent actions by Bush, such as referring to Putin as a "friend" and inviting him to his family home in Maine next month, suggest an effort to ease tensions. Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, noted that on many major issues, the two leaders will likely agree to disagree. The Europeans understand that significant changes to US foreign and climate change policy are unlikely to happen until a new president takes office, so they are avoiding major confrontation. Bush, known for surprising Merkel with a backrub at the 2006 summit in St. Petersburg, still has 1-1/2 years left in office. However, Heiligendamm will be the final G8 summit for Tony Blair and possibly Putin, who plans to step down next year. New leaders attending include Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Shinzo Abe of Japan. The informal meetings of the top industrial powers started in 1975, with the G6 meeting in Rambouillet, France to coordinate economic policy after a global oil crisis and the collapse of the Bretton Woods system. Now, the group that is responsible for almost two-thirds of the world's growth but only a fraction of its population is being criticized for its lack of relevance and is being urged to adapt to changes in the global economy. In response to these concerns, Merkel has extended invitations to the leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. The landscape has evolved significantly since world leaders first gathered three decades ago. In 1999, during Germany's last G8 summit, government officials mingled with locals in the streets of Cologne. However, events such as the September 11 attacks, clashes between anti-globalization protesters and police at the 2001 summit in Genoa, and bombings in London during the 2005 summit have altered this dynamic. German police had a confrontation with numerous protesters on Saturday in Rostock's port. The protesters set cars on fire, threw bottles, and burned bins following a larger peaceful demonstration. For the three-day meeting, as many as 16,000 German security personnel will be on duty, and leaders will be separated from tens of thousands of demonstrators by a 12-kilometre fence.