PM Mahathir invited to G-8 summit

PM Mahathir invited to G-8 summit

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on late Sunday he will attend a Group of Eight (G-8) summit in France, representing the 116 countries of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The gathering in Evian, France, on June 1-3 will include the leaders of the world's eight leading economies, as well as about two dozen Third World leaders.

Mahathir said the invitation was an honor to Malaysia as it reflected that developed countries respected and recognized Malaysia's economic achievements.

"We are chosen in our capacity as the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) chairman to have a dialog with the G-8 countries.

"Previous NAM chairmen were not invited. This invitation is a recognition to NAM and also to Malaysia," the prime minister told a mammoth gathering of his ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

Mahathir is expected to leave for France on May 30, officials said.

U.S. President George W. Bush was expected to attend the gathering in France, his first visit to that country since French President Jacques Chirac led the opposition at the United Nations to the U.S. war on Iraq.

Mahathir, who retires in October after 22 years in power, on Sunday voiced fears the United States might one day seek regime change in his country. He has felt the sting of Washington's disapproval over his opposition to the war in Iraq.

"We have seen what happened in Afghanistan and Iraq and the threat against Syria. Don't think that only Arab countries are facing this pressure," Mahathir told a crowd of around 45,000 party loyalists.

"If we are weak...they will try to topple the UMNO party. They will try to do what they call a regime change," he added, saying a campaign of criticism of Malaysia's democratic credentials had already begun. -- Agencies