At a meeting held between Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Cabinet ministers April 23, a decision was made in favor of the Japanese city of Toyako on Hokkaido Island to host the summit, which is expected to focus on climate change.
The G8 Group is an international forum for the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. Each year, the G8 member countries take turns to assume the presidency of the group. The presidency holder formulates the group's annual agenda and hosts the summit for that year.
The G8 summit in 2008 is expected to discuss measures to limit carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere beyond 2012 when the Kyoto protocol on climate change expires.
Germany is the holder of the group's presidency in 2007 and will host the 33rd G8 summit in Heiligendamm on June 6-8.
Russia held the G8 presidency in 2006 and hosted the summit in St. Petersburg on July 16-18.
