Leaders of world's largest economies to meet in Canada

Bal Krishna
Toronto, Jun 22 (PTI) Leaders of the world's largest
economies, including India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
US President Barack Obama, will gather in Ontario this week to
discuss plans to beat the economic slump.
The tiny Ontario cottage town of Huntsville and
Canada's business capital usually have little in common, but
in a few days, both will be thrust into the international
spotlight as world leaders arrive for the G8 and G20 Summits.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, host of the
two summits, has urged the world's advanced economies to halve
their deficits by 2013.
In a letter to leaders, Harper said that they should
agree to halve deficits by 2013 and stabilise government
debt-to-GDP ratios, or put them on a downward path by 2016.
Harper said the leaders from industrially advanced
countries need to reaffirm their intent to follow through on
delivering existing stimulus plans, but said at the same time
they must send a clear message that as they expire they will
focus on reducing their deficits.
The three-day meetings, which would run from June
25-26 in Huntsville and June 26-27 in Toronto, are billed over
USD one billion as the largest security event ever in the
Canadian history.
Over 150 intelligence agencies from across the world
are keeping eye on suspected activities of terrorists and
feeding information to the host country, but so far there is
no cause of concern, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has
reported.
Access to the innermost security zone during the G20
weekend will be controlled by a three-metre-high fence and
five levels of security screening, a summit official has said.
The army will maintain observation posts and
surveillance, while conducting joint patrols of the Toronto
Pearson airport and the Huntsville area, soldiers from across
Ontario have already begun to move into the summit areas,
comprising the largest deployment of Reserve soldiers in a
planned operation in history.
The navy will support the police's maritime security
operations, including providing port security and dive teams.
The air force will conduct surveillance missions,
early warning detection, and the air lift of dignitaries.
From the 24th through the 28th of June there are going
to be airspace restrictions in the proximity of venues hosting
the summits as part of an overall comprehensive security
profile.
Besides, thousands of uniformed police officers and
private security guards, who are not professionally trained,
will be used to protect the dignitaries and their entourages.
It's been expected that as many as 15,000 people,
including international journalists, will be here for the
meetings. PTI BK
MRD