Prof. Bernhard Vogel, a veteran German politician and chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation--a nongovernmental organization affiliated with the ruling Christian Democratic Union--visited Tokyo recently and discussed the upcoming Group of Eight summit meeting in Hokkaido, the Beijing Olympics and other international issues with Akira Komoto, managing editor of The Daily Yomiuri. The following are excerpts from their conversation.

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Akira Komoto: At the upcoming Group of Eight summit meeting in Toyakocho, Hokkaido, global warming will be one of the topics of discussion. We hope the summit to set a long-term goal of halving the emission of greenhouse gases by 2050. What results do you think this summit should attain if it is to be remembered as a success?

Bernhard Vogel: It is good to hear that Japan is keeping the German initiative on climate change [at the Heiligendamm summit last year] on the top of this summit's agenda. I belie...

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