The Group of Eight leaders of the most industrialized countries will tackle the following issues during their three-day summit starting on Wednesday in the central Italian city of L'Aquila.
ECONOMIC CRISIS: The leaders will take stock of efforts so far to revive their flagging economies, while continuing the work to coordinate responses to the crisis as well as looking at when to launch exit strategies from large stimulus packages in some countries, notably the United States and Britain.
FINANCIAL REGULATION: The Italian government is promoting rules and regulations to help prevent future crises. The 12 common principles for a strong, fair and clean economy include promoting values of integrity and transparency, a sense of fiscal duty and banning protectionism.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Promote new technology for cleaner energy and goals on emissions and limiting temperature increases.
SECURITY ISSUES: Iran and North Korea top the agenda of security issues. On Iran the leaders will focus on how to balance diplomacy with tougher action, and perhaps try to nudge member nations like Germany and Italy, which have significant economic ties with Iran, to back more sanctions over Iran's nuclear program. The leaders meet just days after North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles into the ocean off its East Coast in violation of three UN resolutions, one in a series of provocative acts this year.
FOOD SECURITY: The leaders are expected to commit more than $12 billion to agriculture development over the next three years. Italy wants nations to increase the percentage of their budgets that they commit to agriculture as part of a package that could include a move toward strategic grain reserves and calls for investments in new agriculture technologies.
WORLD RESERVE CURRENCY: China could raise the sensitive issue of a new world reserve currency, after their central bank recently proposed that the world move away from a reliance on the US dollar.
