Military

DATE=5/17/2003

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT (CQ)

TITLE= SWITZERLAND/G-8

NUMBER=5-53827

BYLINE=DALE GAVLAK

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

///EDITORS: RESENDING TO CORRECT BACKGROUNDER NUMBER IN TEXT HEAD. NO OTHER CHANGES///

INTRO: Swiss officials say they are prepared for visiting heads of state, anti-globalization protesters, and even the possibility of terrorist attacks drawn to next month's G-8 summit in nearby Evian, France. The leaders of the world's seven most industrialized countries and Russia have invited their counterparts from nearly 30 non-G-8 countries to take part in the summit, which is to focus on development. V-O-A's Dale Gavlak reports from Geneva on Swiss preparations for the June 1st-to-3rd meeting.

TEXT: Although France is hosting the G-8 summit in the Alpine resort of Evian, it has asked Switzerland to help provide security and lodging for more than a dozen leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as United Nations chief Kofi Annan.

That is because the closest international airport to the summit site is Geneva, about 50 kilometers away. Also, Evian does not have enough hotels to accommodate all the conference participants. Some Swiss are not happy. They say that France may reap the benefits of the meeting, while the Swiss will have to foot the bill.

But Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Livio Zanolari dismisses such charges.

/// ZANOLARI ACT IN FRENCH, EST. AND FADE UNDER ///

He says the G-8 summit is giving Switzerland a golden opportunity to play host to heads of state, and to develop its role on the international scene. He says expenses could run about 45-million dollars, but France will subsidize some of the costs.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King Mohammed the Sixth of Morocco, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and China's new president, Hu Jintao, are among those who will be lodged in Lausanne, Switzerland, on the other side of Lake Geneva from Evian.

Pierre Aepli, who is coordinating security arrangements, says Switzerland is more than up to the task. /// OPT /// He says up to eight-thousand police and soldiers, backed by air cover from the Swiss and French military, will be stationed between Geneva airport and Lausanne. Mr. Aepli says the air patrols will impose a 10-kilometer no-fly zone, except for helicopters transporting top leaders. /// END OPT ///

/// AEPLI ACT ///

There are many concerns for the security of the people. Terrorism is always a threat. It has always today to be taken into account. But I would also say that demonstrators are a concern.

/// END ACT ///

/// OPT /// Security officials say it is uncertain just how many anti-globalization demonstrators will descend on the Lake Geneva area. Mr. Aepli says top projections of 300-thousand have been scaled down to 100- or 50-thousand. /// END OPT ///

Alberto Velasco of the anti-globalization group, ATTAC, says, while most protesters want peaceful demonstrations, their success will be measured on whether they manage to disrupt the summit.

///BEGIN OPT/// That way, he says, G-8 leaders like President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will get the message that globalization must be stopped.///END OPT///

/// VELASCO ACT IN FRENCH, EST. AND FADE UNDER/ OPT ACT ///

/// OPT /// Mr. Velasco says that the protesters hope that the governments meeting in Evian will understand that more and more people do not want to live the way we are living today. He says they do not want war; they do not want lay-offs; they do not want underemployment. /// END OPT ///

International Monetary Fund chief Horst Koehler will also attend the G-8 summit. Speaking to reporters in Geneva recently, he said, although he welcomes dialogue with the protesters, he still argues that globalization is the only way to reduce poverty and debt in a developing country.

/// KOEHLER ACT ///

We need more globalization, not less. But we need better globalization which means, in particular, that poor countries, the low-income countries can participate in growth, job creation, and better living standards. Without better globalization, I do think that poverty would be protracted; it would be worse. But we are prepared to discuss it.

/// END ACT ///

Olivier de Marcellus of the Social Forum group disagrees. He says only a change in current global economic policies will do.

/// MARCELLUS ACT ///

///BEGIN OPT///We are absolutely against dialoguing with people who we know what their intentions are///END OPT///. They have been saying the same things for the last 30 years. What we want is a change. ///BEGIN OPT///And we do not think any kind of dialogue is going to be anything more than a façade-like inviting the 20 other countries to talk about poverty. That is not what the G-8 is all about. The G-8 is about continuing this pillage of the world and the destruction of the environment. And we have to stop this, and the only thing that is going to stop it is popular pressure.//END OPT///

/// END ACT ///

Security official Pierre Aepli says the Swiss authorities have been holding talks with the protesters for several months. He says, while they expect good cooperation and peaceful protests, they fear that a small minority may resort to violence.

/// 2ND AEPLI ACT // OPT ACT ///

There are many small groups, very flexible, very quick, and (they) are able to make a lot of damage in a few minutes to different parts of town, and this is one of the dangers we expect.

/// END ACT // END OPT ///

Mr. Aepli says to minimize the possible damage, Swiss police have instructed shopkeepers on how to protect their businesses. Luxury jewelry stores and banks plan to board up their shop fronts. And he says parts of Geneva and Lausanne will be turned into no-go areas for protesters in a further attempt to ward off violence. (Signed)

NEB/DG/DW/TW