U.S. Department of Treasury Satisfied with Organization of Financial G8 in Moscow

WASHINGTON, February 14 – Freezing Russian weather and the organizers’ warm welcome are the American participants’ main impressions of the Moscow meeting of the G8 finance ministers. Like the other G8 ministers, they noted especially the personal attention of President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tony Fratto said Monday at a briefing for journalists at the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Fratto praised the good organization of the Moscow financial conference. We are grateful to our Russian colleagues, especially Minister Kudrin, for making thorough preparations, he said. He reminded journalists about Alexei Kudrin’s previous visits to Washington and other capitals of the elite club of the world’s most industrialized powers, and said they had yielded good results and ensured a highly successful outcome of the Moscow meetings and talks.

The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs said the meeting participants were impressed that the Russian President had found the time to meet with them personally. This is the opinion of all G8 finance ministers, he said. It was an unusual gesture. This does not always happen in the course of G8 events. We had positive talks on the global economy, issues pertaining to the G8 performance, and energy and trade, he said.

Fratto said the American participants were pleased about the personal meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Treasury Secretary John Snow.

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