Financial G8 Agenda Finalized

MOSCOW, February 7. The agenda of the G8 Finance Ministers’ meeting has been finalized. All of the ministers have confirmed their attendance of the February 11 meeting in Moscow, said a source in the Russian Finance Ministry.

“The agenda focuses on issues of global economy and the influence of oil markets on economic growth,” the source said.

The ministers will also discuss energy security, the central issue of Russia’s G8 Presidency in 2006.

“The focus should be shifted to ways of improving the quality of data on reserves and production in different countries,” the source said. “We would like all countries to join the single system of energy reserves assessment, which will provide a clearer picture of real reserves and potential production.”

“In addition, the countries that have energy reserves need to allow foreign investment and introduce modern technologies, as well as improve the infrastructure of energy transportation,” the source said.

The G8 Finance Ministers will also address the question of infectious diseases and their monitoring, as well as ways to improve health services. They will “discuss the creation of a foundation for proactive acquisition of vaccines and the creation of their stocks in the countries that do not have sufficient resources for combating infectious diseases.”

The issues of terrorism financing and money laundering will be also on the finance ministers’ agenda in Moscow.

The source said that the agenda of the Moscow G8 financial club meeting includes a working lunch with the participation of the finance ministers of China, India, Brazil and South Africa. They will discuss trade and the results of the Doha round of World Trade Organization negotiations, which aims to lower barriers to trade around the world, held in Hong Kong in December 2005. The ministers will also speak about the results of the Davos mini-round, the source said.

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