KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's veteran Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a fierce critic of Western dominance in world affairs, leaves this week to join a dialogue on the sidelines of the G8 summit in one of his last international appearances before stepping down in October.
Mahathir, 77, in his capacity as chairman of the 116-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), will join a June 1 informal dialogue between rich and poor nations as part of the summit of Group of Eight industrialized nations in France.
Asia's longest-serving elected leader is expected to address wide-ranging issues close to his heart, including western dominance in such fields as global politics, trade and finance.
These familiar themes are likely to surface again at the G8 dialogue in the French resort of Evian, which will focus on development and international cooperation.
With Iraq and the war on terror expected to feature at the G8 summit, the dialogue will also give a chance to the moderate and secular Muslim leader -- who is a strong critic of the war in Iraq while at the same time opposing Islamic extremists -- to air his views.
Mahathir, who leaves for Evian on Friday, has described the invitation as an honour as it showed that developed countries recognised and respected Malaysia's economic achievements.
"Previous NAM chairmen were not invited. This invitation is a recognition to NAM and also to Malaysia," he said.
It will be one of his last major global meetings before he bows out of politics and hands over the reins to his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in October, three months after marking 22 years in office.
Before retiring, he will also host the Organisation of Islamic Conference summit and attend the summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
The outspoken and confrontational Mahathir has made no secret of his disdain for the US over its attack on Iraq, calling it a "cowardly and imperialist act by those who still want to rule the world."
Mahathir, who was thanked by US President George W. Bush last year for his support in the anti-terror war after the September 2001 attacks in the US, said he still believed the invasion of Iraq was unwarranted and called for the United Nations to take a leading role in post-war Iraq.
He has warned the war in Iraq would add to the perceived oppression of Muslims and fan the flames of global terrorism, and predicted that Iran and North Korea would be the next targets.
During the NAM summit in Kuala Lumpur in February, Mahathir accused western leaders of being "primitive" killers using the war on terrorism as a pretext to dominate the world.
He likened leaders of developed countries to "people of the Stone Age, where for them, the solution to a problem is by killing people" and said they have "found the excuse to once again conquer the world" following the September 2001 attacks in the United States.
Mahathir has long urged the world to study the root causes of terrorism if it wants to stem the menace, and has cited the Israeli-Palestinian crisis as a key reason for Muslim terrorism.
Credited with transforming Malaysia into one of Southeast Asia's most successful economies, he is also a champion of the developing world in seeking a fairer global trading system for poor nations.
"It does not take a genius to see that the dice is loaded against the weak and the poor," said Mahathir, who blamed western financial players for allegedly triggering the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.
"Cities do not compete with villages, nor adult athletes with children ... we expect poor and weak countries to be given some protection."
He has also suggested that rich multinational corporations "pay a world tax" to help build infrastructure in developing nations.
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