Bush to welcome Iraqi president to G8 summit, Bush to nominate five to serve in administration, week ahead

BUSH TO WELCOME IRAQI PRESIDENT TO G8 SUMMIT

President Bush will welcome President Ghazi Ajil al-Yawer of the Iraqi interim government to the G8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia, on June 9, according to a White House statement.

At the summit, President al-Yawer will meet with leaders from the G8, Turkey, and the Middle East and North Africa to discuss how the political, social and economic rebirth of Iraq can contribute to the cause of reform throughout the region.

President Bush will also take this opportunity to reaffirm with President al-Yawer his support for Iraq's efforts to realize its potential to be a free, democratic, secure and prosperous country, and to encourage the leaders of the G8 nations to continue their support of this vision, the statement said.

BUSH TO NOMINATE FIVE TO SERVE IN ADMINISTRATION

The White House Press Office announced President Bush's intention to nominate the following individuals to posts in his administration:

-- John C. Danforth, of Missouri, to be representative of the United States to the United Nations with the rank of ambassador, to be U.S. representative in the U.N. Security Council and to be U.S. representative to the sessions of the U.N. General Assembly. Senator Danforth currently serves as a partner with Bryan Cave LLP in St. Louis. Since 2001, Senator Danforth also has been the president 's special envoy for peace in Sudan. He previously served as a member of the Senate for 18 years. Earlier in his career, Senator Danforth served as the attorney general of Missouri.

-- Douglas L. McElhaney, of Florida, to be U.S. ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. McElhaney most recently served as consul general in Milan. He previously served as deputy chief of mission and charge d'affaires in Paris. Prior to this position, Mr. McElhaney served as deputy permanent representative in the U.S. Mission to NATO.

-- Aldona Wos, of North Carolina, to be ambassador to Estonia. Dr. Wos currently serves on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. In addition, she also serves as a member of the United Way of Greater Greensboro Board of Directors. Earlier in her career, Dr. Wos served as a consultant for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and maintained a private medical practice for eight years in New York.

-- Kenneth Francis Hackett, of Maryland, and Christine Todd Whitman, of New Jersey, to be members of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for three-year terms.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Sunday, June 6: The president and Mrs. Bush will travel to Normandy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. They will visit and pay their respects at the American cemetery, where the president will also deliver remarks. The president and Mrs. Bush will then participate with other world leaders in a multinational lunch and ceremony. At the conclusion of that ceremony, the president and Mrs. Bush will depart for Sea Island, Georgia, where they will host the 2004 G8 summit.

Tuesday, June 8: President Bush will host a working lunch with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan, followed by a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. The president will also host bilateral meetings with Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russia's president Vladimir Putin. In the evening, the president and Mrs. Bush will host a social dinner for G8 leaders and spouses.

Wednesday, June 9: The president will begin his morning with a working breakfast with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair and will open the G8 summit with a morning plenary session. During lunch, the G8 leaders will be joined by the leaders of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Turkey and Yemen. The afternoon will include a plenary session on the preeminent security issues of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation, and global terrorism.

Thursday, June 10: The president will meet with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and then with French President Jacques Chirac. Following the bilateral meetings, the president will participate in a wrap-up session of the G8. The G8 leaders will then have lunch with the leaders of Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda. This lunch is an opportunity for the G8 and African leaders to discuss how they can cooperate to accelerate private-sector-led growth and development in Africa. HIV/AIDS and polio also will be discussed, as well as peacekeeping and support to peace operations on the continent.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)