TASS DOSSIER. July 13, 2016 Theresa May, who until now served as UK Home Secretary and has just been elected leader of the ruling Conservative Party, is to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister. She will become the second woman to head the British government after Margaret Thatcher (who held this post in 1979-1990). The editors of TASS-DOSSIER have prepared material on which countries women occupy senior government positions.
Read all about Brexit and its consequences in the TASS special project
Currently, 19 women are heads of state or government. Among them are two queens, nine presidents, five prime ministers and three governors general. The most women leaders are in Europe - eight, the fewest in Oceania - one. Apart from the queens, the longest serving Governor-General of Saint Lucia is Perlette Louisi (since 1997).
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, temporarily removed from governing the country, is the first female president in history to be impeached (she is currently awaiting a final decision in the case).
Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1952; head of the Commonwealth (the association includes 53 states, including Britain). In terms of length of stay on the throne, he ranks first among all British monarchs (64 years). Among all modern reigning persons, she is the second longest in power after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (66 years). Initiated numerous reforms of the British system of succession to the throne. The portrait of Elizabeth II is depicted on the banknotes of more than 30 countries. Spouse: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The family has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Princess Anne; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
Margrethe II has been Queen of Denmark since 1972. She became the second woman on the Danish throne (her predecessor Margrethe I ruled the country in the early Middle Ages). Engaged in charitable activities. Many societies and foundations operate under her patronage, including the Royal Danish Scientific Society, the Royal Orphanage, and national associations to combat tuberculosis and cancer. In 1975, she became the first European monarch to visit the USSR. Husband: Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark. The family has two children: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joakim.
Angela Merkel has been Federal Chancellor of Germany since 2005, the first woman to hold this post. She was elected to the post of head of the German government three times in a row. In 2016, she topped the annual ranking of the most influential women according to the American magazine Forbes for the 11th time. Married to Joachim Sauer. The chancellor does not have his own children.
Dalia Grybauskaite has been the President of Lithuania since 2009. She is the first woman to hold this position in the history of the country, as well as the first president to be re-elected for a second term. The media called her the “Iron Lady” and compared her to Margaret Thatcher. Has a black belt in karate. Single.
Maria Louise Coleiro Preca has been the President of Malta since 2014. She became the youngest president of the republic (54 years old) and the second woman to hold this position. Married to Edgar Preca, has a daughter.
Erna Solberg has been Prime Minister of Norway since 2013. The second woman to hold this post in the country's history and the first Conservative Prime Minister since 1990. Her husband is Sindre Finnes. The family has two daughters.
Beata Szydlo has been the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Poland since 2015. The third woman to hold this position in the history of the country. Married Edward Szydlo, two sons.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has been the President of Croatia since 2015. She became the youngest president (46 years old) and the first woman to hold this position in the history of the country. Spouse - Yakov Kitarovich. The family has two children - a son and a daughter.
Park Geun-hye has been the President of the Republic of Korea since 2013, the first woman to hold this position in the country's history. Daughter of former President Park Chung-hee (1962-1979). Her role in the successes of the conservative Saenuri Party in elections at various levels earned her the nickname "Queen of Elections." Never been married, no children.
Bidhya Devi Bhandari has been the President of Nepal since 2015. She became the first female President and Supreme Commander of the state. Widow, mother of two children.
Sheikh Hasina Wazed is the second woman in the history of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to head the government (1996-2001, 2009-present). Daughter of Mujibur Rahman, the first prime minister (1972-1975) and president (1975) of the state. She survived more than 30 assassination attempts; as a result of one of them (August 21, 2004), according to various estimates, from 19 to 24 people were killed. Widow, mother of two children.
Ellen Jamal Carney Johnson has been President of Liberia since 2006. The first female president in African history, the oldest woman to head a state or government (77 years old). The only one among the current female heads of state is the Nobel Peace Prize laureate (for her contribution to the non-violent struggle for the security and protection of women's rights and participation in peacekeeping activities, 2011). In 2012, she was included in the list of the hundred most influential women in the world according to Forbes magazine. Divorced, has four children.
Amina Gharib-Fakim has been the President of the Republic of Mauritius since 2015. The first woman and first professor to hold this position. Doctor of Chemical Sciences, specialist in the study of the flora of the Mascarene Islands and its use in medicine and pharmacology. Author and executive editor of more than 20 monographs and about 100 scientific articles. Married to Anwar Fakim, has a son and a daughter.
Sarah Kugongelwa-Amadila has been the Prime Minister of Namibia since 2015. She became not only the first woman to hold this post, but also the youngest head of government in the history of the state (she was 47 years old when she took office).
Latin America
Marguerite Pindling has been Governor General of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas since 2014. She was married to former Prime Minister Linden Pindling (1967–1992, died 2000), during whose reign the Bahamas became an independent state (1973). Mother of four children.
Cecile La Grenade has been the Governor General of Grenada since 2013. The first woman to hold this position. By specialty - food technologist.
Perlette Louisi has been the Governor General of Saint Lucia since 1997. The first female head of state in the country's history. She made a great contribution to the development of education in Saint Lucia.
Michelle Bachelet is the first female president of Chile (2006-2010, 2014-present). She was previously Minister of Health (2000-2002) and Minister of Defense of Chile (2002-2004, the first woman to hold this position in the history of Chile and Latin America). Divorced, three children.
Hilda Hein has been President of the Marshall Islands since January 2016. She is the first woman to hold this position, as well as the first and so far only Marshallese citizen to hold a doctorate. She is actively fighting for women's rights in Oceania. Founder of the human rights group United Women of the Marshall Islands. Her election was an important event for the whole of Oceania, where women's participation in political life is still limited. Married, four children.
10. Sebastian Pinheira ($2.4 billion)
The incredibly rich but strangely robotic Sebastian Pinheira is at the bottom of our list of billionaires, with a "modest" $2.4 billion in his pocket. The head of state previously participated in the management of several large companies - Chili Apple, the television company ChiliVision (of which he owned 100% of the shares), and Chilean Airlines - investments in the latter determined most of his future income. In 2010, he graduated to become the Chief Executive of an entire nation after being elected its President, and that same year the country's economy grew by 5.2% - possible proof that money making skills extend to the political arena as well? The Chilean “Number One” is currently also at position 488 on the Forbes list of billionaires. If only all his money could do something to make him look less like the Terminator.
9. Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ($2.4 billion)
Sheikh Hamad initially came to power by dethroning his father in a bloodless palace coup in 1995. The Emir of Qatar represents his country during state visits and is responsible for coordinating its development in the field of oil and natural gas reserves. The results are clearly visible in his $2.4 billion bank account. A militaristic emir who trained at England's Sandhurst Military Academy, he previously served as his country's Minister of Defense, in which post he led a program of intensive modernization of the Qatari armed forces. He also has three wives and 24 children. Luckily, he has enough money to pay for babysitters!
8. Mohammed VI ($2.5 billion)
Morocco's King Mohammed VI found his billions in the form of his family's financial legacy and the nation's vast phosphate reserves. As ruler of his own country, he has powerful executive powers, which he has used to weaken the sacred aura of the monarchy and strengthen the position of the prime minister. He has also introduced some reforms aimed at making the most corrupt parts of government more accountable to the people - although some believe these pro-democracy measures still fall short. Mohammed also has a pretty impressive bank account, with reports saying he's worth $2.5 billion and has the sizable suit to prove it. Some people must just be born lucky.
7. Hans-Adam II ($4 billion)
In addition to being the head of the tiny European state of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II is also one of the richest rulers in the world, and quite simply the richest ruler in Europe. In this, he easily beats more famous monarchs, such as Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Queen Beatrix I of the Netherlands, which is probably quite humiliating for them.
Despite being the heir to a large family fortune as a member of the royal family, Adam has worked hard to earn his money: he not only owns the LGT banking group, but was also put in charge of his family's financial affairs at the age of 27 years old, and has shown such good acumen that today their combined family wealth exceeds $7 billion. In 2004, he formally transferred most of the royal powers to his son, Prince Alois. Let's hope that the guy will show the same class as his daddy.
6. Silvio Berlusconi ($9 billion)
There is a joke that the official measure of political corruption is called "Berlusconi". Shady dealings (Berlusconi has been accused of embezzlement, tax fraud, and bribing judges, among other things) have undoubtedly helped put the Italian leader and entrepreneur ahead of the rest: not only is he officially the fifth richest head of state in the world, but also the longest-serving leader of the Big One. Eights, the owner of the Italian football club Milan - not to mention the investment company that controls the largest Italian private television companies - and the fact that he is constantly seen in the arms of women decades younger than him. If it's bad, then we're not sure we want to be good. See, with a list of transgressions that includes signing laws aimed at slowing down prosecutions of himself, referring to Obama as "tanned," and comparing a German MEP to a Nazi concentration camp guard, it might not be worth $9 billion to be in his shoes. .
5. Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum ($12 billion)
Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum may rank surprisingly low on our list. In 2009, Forbes estimated his wealth at 12 billion, but the ruler of the billionaire's playground of Dubai was apparently even richer, worth more than 18 billion. However, when the recession of the late 2000s hit, Sheikh lost a lot of money and was even forced to turn to neighboring Abu Dhabi for help when markets fell. Through his investment company Dubai World, Al Maktoum has control over many corporations such as port operator DP World Ltd and property developer Nakheel Properties, the latter of which helps shape Dubai's landscape, including the famous Palm Jameira man-made archipelago. . His official website calls him "Leader", "Horse Rider", and "Poet". We'd add "stunningly rich Sheikh" to that list.
4. Khalifa bin Zayyad al Nahyan ($15 billion)
The President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi gained his impressive fortune through a combination of real estate investments, inheritance, and oil. Due to his father's poor health, he was forced to act as president even before formally taking office in 2004. He is widely promoted as a pro-Western modernizer by the United States, but has also been described as "aloof and uncharismatic" (according to correspondence published on the Wikileaks website). See, this head of state is also the third richest monarch in the world, with a combined wealth of over $15 billion. Who needs charisma if he owns something like this?
3. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud ($18 billion)
The current King of Saudi Arabia is not exactly the king of this list, appearing only at number three. However, with an impressive family fortune of $18 billion behind him - built on his country's unprecedented oil reserves - he is by no means the poorest of its kind. The former commander-in-chief of the Saudi National Guard has always maintained close relations with the United States, paying frequent state visits to its presidents and expressing support for George W. Bush on the second anniversary of 9/11. He also appears to be a big fan of America's current president, saying "Praise be to Allah for putting Obama in power," according to private emails released by Wikileaks.
2. Hassan al Bolkaya ($20 billion)
The Sultan of Brunei comes in second on our list with a personal fortune of $20 billion. With wealth based on his country's vast oil and natural gas reserves, he has behind him a dynasty that is believed to be perhaps the oldest in existence on the planet. The absolute monarch uses his vast wealth to provide his country's citizens with zero income taxes, free education, and universal healthcare - making it a veritable national health service rolled into one.
1. Bumibol Adulyadesh ($30 billion)
With a net worth of $30 billion as of 2009, King Bumibol Adulyadesh is the richest head of state on the planet. The King of Thailand is revered as a demigod in his own country - where he is considered virtually "untouchable" and any criticism leveled at him could result in a lengthy prison sentence. The king's personal wealth is impressive: he owns large stakes in several private companies - including Sammakorn, SCG, and Thai Insurance PLC - and also has extensive land holdings (although government officials stress that the latter is not counted when calculating his personal wealth). wealth). In 2008, Forbes estimated Adulyadesh's personal wealth at $35 billion, but falls in the real estate and stock markets lowered that number by $5 billion over the next year. Proof that the king returns some of the love he receives from his people is his donations to various Thai development projects, in areas ranging from agriculture and public health to water supply and social welfare. You see, he doesn't just take.
Bonus: Vladimir Putin ($40 billion)
Former (and very likely future) President Vladimir Putin claims his total wealth is a modest $150,000, but the head of the Russian government is suspected of possessing much greater wealth. Whistleblowers like former government member Ivan Rybkin and political scientist Stanislav Belkovsky claim that the president controls secret assets in oil and gas companies such as Gazprom and Gunvor... up to a value of over $40 billion. These claims have never been confirmed, but if they are true, he is the richest guy on this list, and has certainly earned his place at the very top - even if he got his fortune through more dirty means than fair.
How much do world presidents earn? Official data.
The other day, the US Government Ethics Office published information on the income of the country's President Donald Trump over the past year. The 98-page financial declaration was published on the department’s website.
According to The Washington Post, in general, Trump retains control over assets, which as of April 15 were valued at $1.4 billion. At the same time, the rating compiled by RBC shows the official salaries of people in the presidency. And according to him, Donald Trump is the lowest paid head of state.
Photo: Nicky Loh/Bloomberg
Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong - $1.76 million per year
Lee Hsien Loong is the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, responsible for the rapid growth of the country's economy and an increase in GDP per capita. Hsien Loong continues his father's policies.
Today, Singapore is the capital of APEC, a leading trade and economic organization that accounts for more than half of the world's population and international trade. 
Photo: Ruben Sprich/Reuters
Swiss President Doris Leuthard - $437 thousand per year
Representative of the Christian Democratic People's Party Doris Leuthard took office as president for the second time in January 2017, and she first led the country in 2010.
Leuthard concurrently heads the Federal Department of Environmental Protection, Transport, Energy and Communications. 
Photo: Mark Graham/Bloomberg
Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull - $396 thousand per year
Turnbull took over as Prime Minister of Australia following the resignation of Tony Abbott. Previously he headed the Australian Department of Environment and Water Resources and later the Department of Communications.
The minimum wage in the country is $23,059 per year. 
Photo: Tony Gentile/Reuters
Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel - $255 thousand per year.
In 2013, after being elected prime minister, Bettel announced his intentions to legalize same-sex marriage in Luxembourg, as well as to replace religious education in school with secular ethics and cut costs.
Xavier Bettel is one of the few politicians who openly declared his homosexuality. In 2015, the Prime Minister married Gautier Destne. 
Photo: Dylan Martinez / Reuters
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau - $253 thousand per year
Justin Trudeau is a Canadian politician and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. His father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, is the country's 15th Prime Minister.
The minimum wage in Canada varies by province, but averages around $16,800 per year.
Photo: Lisi Niesner/Bloomberg
President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen - $314 thousand per year.
The former leader of the Green Party took over the post of head of Austria in 2016 during a tense presidential election, although until recently everyone was confident of the victory of his rival, Norbert Hofer. 
Photo: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg
German Chancellor Angela Merkel - $ 244 thousand per year
Merkel is the first woman to serve as chancellor in German history and has held the position since 2005. 
Photo: Tony Gentile/Reuters
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel - $ 239 thousand per year
The 41-year-old lawyer has been heading the country's government since the fall of 2014. 
Photo: Remo Casilli/Reuters
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven - $235,000 a year
Social Democrat Stefan Löfven became the country's 43rd prime minister in 2014. Löfven is critical of the country's accession to NATO, believing that "Sweden should be free from military alliances." “We should not join NATO,” he said in an interview with the Sydsvenska Dagbladet newspaper. 
Photo: Saul Martinez/Bloomberg
President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales - $232 thousand per year
The publication Prensa Libre recognized the head of Guatemala Jimmy Morales as the highest paid leader in Latin America. His monthly income, as the publication notes, is equal to 50 times the minimum wage; in Guatemala it is $393.
Since taking office, former comedian Morales has donated 60% of his first presidential salary to charity, fulfilling his campaign promise to give half of his income to those in need. 
Photo: Alexey Druzhinin / TASS
Russian President Vladimir Putin - about $153 thousand per year
Last year, the Russian president's income amounted to 8 million 858 thousand rubles. (about $153 thousand).
Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
US President Donald Trump - $1 per year
Donald Trump refused the presidential salary of $400 thousand immediately after his election as head of the United States.
“By law, I still have to make at least a dollar a year, so let it be a dollar,” he said on CBS.
A couple of centuries ago, in many countries of the world, a situation could well have arisen in which the head of state was an infant. However, today such options are unthinkable even in those few countries where the monarchy remains.
The post of head of state most often goes to an experienced and authoritative person. And such qualities, as we know, come with age. Meanwhile, there are leaders who, for one reason or another, came to power quite early. They are today collected in our Top 10 youngest heads of state.
10. Victor Ponta
The Prime Minister of Romania was born in 1972 and was 40 years old when he assumed his current post in 2012. Ponta is a lawyer by training, and during his career he worked as a prosecutor, including in the Supreme Court of Romania.
9. Tatyana Turanskaya
This year the Prime Minister of Moldova will turn 41 years old. Despite the fact that Tatyana was born in Ukraine, she managed to work a lot and fruitfully for the benefit of the Moldavian Republic, whose government she eventually headed.
8. Arayik Harutyunyan
The Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is only 39 years old. An economist by training, Harutyunyan worked in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and also served as a branch manager of Armagrobank. The Prime Minister has been working in his current position since 2007; at the time of his appointment he was already 34 years old.
7. Joseph Muscat
The Prime Minister of Malta is 39 years old and took office in 2013. In this post, he replaced 60-year-old Lawrence Gonzi, becoming the youngest prime minister in the history of the independent Republic of Malta.
6. Andry Rajoelina
The 39-year-old politician holds the position of President of the High Transitional Administration of Madagascar. He is the head of state, who has limited rights in legislation, but not limited in the executive and judicial powers.
5. Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson
The Prime Minister of Iceland was born in 1975 and was 38 years old when he took office. Gunnlaugsson is a hereditary politician; his father was repeatedly elected to parliament. The prime minister's first step in his new post was the suspension of negotiations on Iceland's accession to the EU.
4. Atifete Yahyaga
The President of the Republic of Kosovo is 38 years old. She took up her post in 2011. This charming woman previously served as deputy chief of police with the high rank of major general.
3. Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk
Bhutan's fifth king took the throne at the age of 27 after his father's abdication in 2006. Namgyal studied at colleges in the UK and the USA, and actively participated in international forums and conferences. Until 2011, Namgyal was considered the youngest ruler in the world.
2. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
In June 2013, the 33-year-old became the fourth Emir of Qatar. The prince was educated in Great Britain and actively participated in the government of the country during the reign of his father. The emir devotes a lot of time to promoting sports in the country and even nominated the capital of Qatar as a candidate for hosting the Olympics.
1. Kim Jong-un
The youngest head of state is the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the North Korean Labor Party. Kim Jong Un inherited the reins of power from the deceased Kim Jong Il in December 2011 at the age of 29.
A selection of photographs of world leaders taken during summits over the years.
A friendly embrace between Israeli Prime Minister Begin and US President Carter: The Camp David summit resulted in a meeting between US President Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, in the East Room of the White House. A peace agreement on the Middle East was signed there. (UPI Photo/Darryl Heikes/Files)
Reaction of US President Bill Clinton (right) to the answer given to journalists by Russian President Boris Yeltsin on June 20, 19997, in Denver, Colorado, USA. On June 20, the two met at a G8 luncheon.
Meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (right) and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi laugh at a press conference they gave after their meeting in the Kremlin, Moscow, November 6, 2008. The leaders of the two countries discussed options for cooperation between Russia and NATO and the EU. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
450 Friendship of world presidents
Iranian President Ahmadinejad greets Algerian President Bouteflika during an official welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, August 11, 2008. (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah)
US President George W. Bush laughs heartily as Gorbachev tries to master the golf cart used for transportation at the Camp David summit on June 2, 1990. (UPI Photo/Files)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) together with First Deputy Prime Minister and main candidate for the presidency Dmitry Medvedev in the city of Penza (700 km from Moscow) at a sports festival, January 23, 2008. Putin supported Medvedev during the election race until Election Day - March 2, 2008. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
President Bush greets Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi. Silvio Berlusconi hugs George W. Bush as he addresses the US President's acceptance speech during the official welcoming ceremony, White House, Washington, October 13, 2008. (UPI Photo/Kevin Dietsch)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) and US President George W. Bush raise glasses during a reception in honor of a guest at the White House, Washington, November 6, 2007. (UPI Photo/Aude Guerrucci/POOL)
Meeting between President Obama and the German Chancellor. On November 3, 2009, a meeting between US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel took place in the Oval Office of the White House. (UPI/Olivier Douliery/Pool)
Handshake between Soviet leader Gorbachev and US President Reagan. President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev shake hands after signing the nuclear weapons agreement, December 8, 1987, White House. (UPI/File)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai (left) greets the Iranian president during his visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, March 10, 2010. During that visit, Ahmadinejad said he did not consider the presence of foreign troops to be a solution to conflicts in Afghanistan. (UPI/pool)
G8 summit in L'Aquila. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (L) reacts as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi listens closely to Barack Obama's speech before the G8 meeting in L'Aquila, Italy, July 8, 2009. (UPI Photo/Alex Volgin)
Meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel: Dmitry Medvedev and Angela Merkel walk along the corridor of St. Petersburg State University, October 2, 2008. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak meets with his French counterpart and friend Nicolas Sarkozy: Nicolas Sarkozy (left) greets Hosni Mubarak during a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, February 9, 2009. The two leaders discussed ways to resolve the situation in the Middle East. (UPI Photo/Eco Clement)
George Bush Jr. shakes hands with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, December 9, 2003. The two leaders discussed economic issues, as well as the situation around the Korean Peninsula. (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg)
During the official welcoming ceremony in New Delhi, Nicolas Sarkozy (right) greets Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as Indian President Pratibha Patil (middle) looks on, January 25, 2008. Nicolas Sarkozy was scheduled for a two-day visit to strengthening relations between the two countries, including economically, against the backdrop of a rapidly prospering Asian economy. (UPI Photo)
Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin talk before photographing participants at the G8 summit, Germany, June 7, 2007. The summit was held from June 6 to 8 in the resort town of Heiligendamm. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) hugs French President Nicolas Sarkozy before both attend a news conference in London March 12, 2010. (UPI/Hugo Philpott)
Dmitry Medvedev and his colleague Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at a press conference after their meeting at the country residence of the Russian president, September 10, 2009. Chavez said that his country accepts the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which seceded from Georgia. (UPI/Anatoli Zhdanov)
Nicolas Sarkozy (left) greets Angela Merkel during her official visit to the Elysee Palace in Paris, December 6, 2007. After some differences in views, Paris and Berlin have reached agreement on many issues. (UPI Photo/Eco Clement)
Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China at the “BRIC summit”. (from left to right) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pose for journalists before the start of the BRIC summit, held in Yekaterinburg, June 16, 2009. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
Yasser Arafat and Algerian President Bouteflika. March 26, 2001 – Amman, Jordan: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat welcomes Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to the Royal Palace. Both leaders will take part in the summit of Arab heads of state. The meeting will be the first formal talks since Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait split the Arab world. (rlw/Arafat Press Office UPI)
Meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Nicolas Sarkozy (left) and Dmitry Medvedev before the Russia-EU summit in Nice, November 14, 2007. At the summit, Sarkozy urged the United States and Russia to stop arguing over nuclear weapons and nuclear shields and pay attention to ensuring further security in Europe. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
Meeting of the Venezuelan leader and his Iranian counterpart: Iranian President Ahmadinejad (right) shakes hands with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez during the official welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, July 1, 2007. Chavez arrived in Iran on a two-day visit to strengthen political and economic ties between the two countries (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah)
Group photograph of the G8 and P5 leaders in L'Aquila. (L-R) German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gather for the traditional group photo during the summit in L'Aquila, Italy, July 9, 2009. (UPI Photo /Alex Volgin)
