give each other mutual encouragement in the face of difficult economic decisions. This summit was primarily an economic forum for the global economic powerhouses; and the focus of this G8 Summit was discussion of economic issues. Some of the pressing items on the agenda: Open trade between Russia and the United States, including discussion of Russian entry into the World Trade Organization Multibillion-dollar aircraft manufacturing contracts, in light of strategy shifts at Airbus and Boeing and worsening airline business performance Free energy markets, especially regarding Russia and former Soviet republics, as well as petroleum from the Middle East Nigeria, Venezuela, and the Persian Gulf regions have all had reduced energy exports in the past weeks due to various political and technical issues Rights for exploration and exploitation of natural gas in Russia and the North Atlantic Ocean / Baltic Sea Alternative energy forms, especially relaxing nuclear power regulations; and development of hydrogen as an economically viable energy platform Security – both militarily and financially ensuring the future in energy supplies Discussion of economic impacts of global instability, drugs, and terrorism Education priorities for developed nations, especially encouraging businesses to support education Global system to monitor and contain infectious diseases Israel–Lebanon crisis The agenda set up by Russian President Vladimir Putin was largely overshadowed by the continuing violence in Israel and Lebanon. On 16 July, the leaders of the G8 nations agreed on a statement calling for an end to the fighting and the release of the Israeli soldiers. The leaders did not, however, go as far as calling for a ceasefire. Citizens' responses and authorities' counter-responses During the week leading up to the summit (7–11 July), police in Moscow, St Petersburg and elsewhere around Russia detained somewhere between a few dozen to possibly two hundred human rights and political activists. Many of them were sentenced to ten days' imprisonment, preventing them from participating in protests surrounding the official summit. The Russian Deputy Internal Minister Alexander Chekalin said that the allegations of harassment were "from the realms of supposition" and that the police's actions were "commensurate with the situation at hand". Cherie Blair, wife of the British Prime Minister and a human rights lawyer, slipped out of the summit in order to meet with local human rights groups and offer them free legal advice. Her leaving the summit was officially endorsed by Downing Street, and has reportedly furthered a rift between