Who's who at the 2013 G8
Cameron outlined his country's top three priorities for the G8 in an open letter: Trade liberalization, tax reform and transparency and accountability.
Prime Minister Cameron was elected in May 2010.
Barack Obama - United States
Trade will be the top agenda for the United States, as well as international tax harmonization and intervention in Syria.President Obama has been in office since 2009.
Vladimir Putin - Russia
Syria is the top issue for Russia at this G8 meeting. Russia is the only G8 country against arming Syrian rebels. Putin considers Syrian President Bashar Assad a close ally and has been providing arms to the Syrian Army.Putin has been president since May 2012 and previously served as president from 2000-2008, and as prime minister from 1999-2000 and again from 2008-2012.
Shinzo Abe - Japan
Two issues top Abe's agenda: winning understanding of his government's drastic economic measures and support for security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.This is the first G8 summit for Prime Minister Abe, who was elected in December 2012.
Stephen Harper - Canada
Canada is lobbying the Obama administration to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would carry tar sand oil 2,000 miles from Alberta to Texas. Food security and child and maternal health are also among Canada's priorities this year.Harper was elected as Canada's Prime Minister in February 2006.
Francois Hollande - France
Agriculture and genetically modified (GM) crops are a major issue for France at this year's summit and Hollande has expressed concern that the EU trade agreement will lower regulations on GM foods.France has agreed with the U.S. and U.K. regarding arming Syrian rebels.
President Hollande was elected in May 2012.
Enrico Letta - Italy
Italy supports PM David Cameron's plan to use the G8 to call for a lowering of trade barriers and for a war on tax evasion.Letta was elected as Italy's prime minister in 2013.
Angela Merkel - Germany
Like the UK, Germany supports the EU-U.S. free trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.Merkel has served as the German Chancellor since 2005.