Participants of the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting pose for a photo before the opening of the two-day meeting in Kyoto, western Japan, on June 26, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) gathered Thursday in the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto to discuss international efforts for nuclear nonproliferation as well as peace building in war-torn countries.

On the agenda of the two-day meeting are such issues as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, nuclear nonproliferation efforts in Iran, political stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan as well as the Middle East Peace Process.

The ministers are expected to issue a joint statement on the fulfillment of their pledged assistance for Afghanistan's reconstruction at the meeting.

Also invited to the gathering are representatives from the European Union (EU), including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, EU External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

The meeting is the last of a string of G8 ministerial sessions in the run-up to the G8 summit scheduled for July 7-9 at the Toyako(Lake Toya) resort area in Hakkaido.

Participants of the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting pose for a photo before the opening of the two-day meeting in Kyoto, western Japan, on June 26, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2008)