Foreign relations
Is the united States a member of G8 and G20?
United States
United Kingdom G20 Research Group G8 Research Group Birla Institute of Technology, Patna 35th G8 summit
United_Kingdom-Foreign_relations G20_Research_Group-Abstract G8_Research_Group-Abstract Birla_Institute_of_Technology,_Patna-Youth_Summits_2012 35th_G8_summit-Leaders_at_the_summit
The UK is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a member of NATO, the Commonwealth of Nations, G7, G8, G20, the OECD, the WTO, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and is a member state of the European Union. The UK is said to have a "Special Relationship" with the United States and a close partnership with France—the "Entente cordiale"—and shares nuclear weapons technology with both countries. The UK is also closely linked with the Republic of Ireland; the two countries share a Common Travel Area and co-operate through the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and the British-Irish Council. Britain's global presence and influence is further amplified through its trading relations, foreign investments, official development assistance and military engagements. 
The G20 Research Group was founded by John Kirton in February 2008 as a global network of scholars, students and professionals in the academic, research, business, non-governmental and other communities who follow the work of the G20. In 2009, Kirton was joined by co-directors Alan Alexandroff, Research Director of the Program on Conflict Management and Negotiation at the Munk School of Global Affairs at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, and Donald Brean, Professor of Finance and Business Economics at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Building on the work done by the G8 Research Group, which has been following the G20 finance ministers and central banker governors since they began meeting in 1999, the G20 Research Group aims to serve as the world's leading independent source of information and analysis on the G20. The G20 Research Group publishes the G20 Information Centre website, which provides a permanent collection of G20-related documents and information. It also conducts programs of research, teaching, and information and public education. Whenever possible the G20 Research Group, like the G8 Research Group, sends a field team to the summits and finance meetings of the G20 to assist the world's media on site and to collect documentation uniquely available there. The G20 Research Group publishes an assessment of the G20 agenda, available on the G20 Information Centre website and updated frequently. It also works with Newsdesk Media to produce special publications on the G20, which are also available on the G20 Information Centre website. The G20 Research Group is supported by the International Relations Program based at the Centre for International Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs, Robarts Library, Trinity College’s John Graham Library and the Department of Political Science. 
The G8 Research Group is an independent source of information, analysis and research on the institutions, issues and members of the Group of Eight and the G8 Summit. The G8 Research Group was founded in 1987 at the University of Toronto. It is a global network of scholars, professionals in the media, business, government and research communities, and students interested in the ongoing activity of the G7 and G8 and related bodies, including the G20. (In February 2008, the G20 Research Group was established to focus more directly on the G20. )The G8 Research Group is supported by the International Relations Program based at the Centre for International Studies within the Munk School of Global Affairs, Robarts Library, University of Trinity College’s John Graham Library and the Department of Political Science. The G8 Research Group was founded by Professor John Kirton, who is also the current director. During the year, the G8 Research Group conducts programs of research, teaching, and information and public education. Along with its companion the G20 Research Group, the G8 Research Group works with Newsdesk to produce special publications on the G8 and the G20. The G8 Research Group runs the G8 Information Centre, which includes an electronic archive of documents related to the summit and its ministerial meetings as well as research and analysis. Trinity College's John Graham Library hosts a physical archive for G8 materials. Colleagues at the International Organizations Research Institute at Moscow's State University Higher School of Economics have established the G8 Research Centre, which has been conducting research on Russia's compliance with G8 commitments since 2006. Colleagues at Oxford University and the London School of Economics created the G8 Research Group LSE/Oxford, which has produced reports on climate change and the G8 and the Outreach Five countries of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. The G8 Research Group maintains a research division that consists of more than 150 undergraduate and graduate student analysts. The student research division produces internationally recognized reports on compliance by the G8+5 with commitments made at annual G8 summits. It also studies the influence of civil society organizations and the media on the G8 summit agenda and priorities. The student research division of the G8 Research Group is currently chaired by Abdi Aidid. Past chairs include Netila Demneri (2010-2011), Erin Fitzgerald (2009-2010), Sarah Yun (2008-2009), Clifton van der Linden (2007-2008), Janet Chow (2006-2007), Vanessa Corlazzoli (2005-2006), Anthony Navaneelan (2004-2005), Bob Papanikolau (2003-2004), Salimah Ebrahim (2002-2003) and Gina Stephens (2001-2002). 
A final year student of Mechanical Engineering was selected to represent India as the Minister of Development in the G8 and G20 Youth Summits 2012 to be held at Washington D.C., U.S.A. from 3-9th June, 2012. He was a member of the five-member Indian delegation, selected to represent India at the Youth G20 summit. This delegation consists of students from IIM-C, IIM-Ranchi, BIT Patna, Rajiv Gandhi National Law Univ and Pune University. 
The G8 is an unofficial annual forum for the leaders of Canada, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The 35th G8 summit was the first for United States President Barack Obama, the first and only summit for Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, and the last summit for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Political changes in the G8 member nations are likely to affect the composition of the 35th G8 summit. France would like to see China become a full member by the time the 37th G8 summit in 2011 is organized as France will be the host member. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced at the press conference at the end of the second day of the Hokkaido summit that the current number of participants would be maintained when the G8 leaders meet in 2009. Berlusconi also explained that a proposal to expand the G8 to include members of the Group of Five (G8+G5) emerging economies - China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa - had not found sufficient support. 