Harper leaves for G8 summit, expected to be dominated by environment issues
OTTAWA (CP) - It's a travel day for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The prime minister left Ottawa on an early-morning flight for Germany, where he will attend summits with the European Union and the G8.
The G8 leaders are grappling with climate change amid signs of a rift between the U.S. and other countries.
The Americans are reluctant to adopt the greenhouse-gas reduction targets endorsed by Europe, and Harper suggests he wants Canada to play a broker's role between the differing sides.
Another issue sure to loom over the summit is the increasingly hawkish talk from Vladimir Putin.
Harper will spend Tuesday in Paris, where he'll have his first meeting with newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
