HIROSHIMA BIDS FOR G-8 SUMMIT.

The Japanese city of Hiroshima announced yesterday that it will bid to serve as host for the Group of Eight summit scheduled for the year 2000, joining several other Japanese cities in doing so. (Kyodo, May 20) Hiroshima’s announcement follows by only days this year’s G-8 summit in Birmingham, at which Russia was granted full membership in the Group. During the talks in Birmingham Russian President Boris Yeltsin asked that Russia be allowed to host the 2000 summit in place of Japan. (See the Monitor, May 18) That request was deflected by other Group members, but could reemerge as a point of friction between Moscow and Tokyo in the months to come. The two countries are currently in the midst of intensive negotiations aimed at drafting a peace treaty formally ending World War II and at resolving a related territorial dispute that has to date been the main obstacle to normalized relations.

RUSSIAN TROOPS IN DENMARK.