Russia drafts G8 energy security declaration – Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, March 17 – Moscow has drafted the G8 energy security declaration and action plan to be put on the table in St. Petersburg in July, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko said.

“The final declaration and action plan on global energy security, the documents to be approved by the summit, have been drafted,” Yakovenko said in an interview the government daily will publish on Saturday.

“Russia has much to offer to its G8 partners,” the Russian official said.

“The Foreign Ministry has developed intensive cooperation with leading Russian energy companies. The ministry often invites them to discuss Russian energy businesses’ international activities and global energy security,” he said.

Russia seeks to diversify its energy infrastructure “structurally, seeking to export more added-value energy resources, as well as geographically, through the North European Gas Pipeline and the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline," he said.

“Of course, Russia would like to have a constructive debate on such an important subject as energy efficiency and energy saving technologies," he said, “for example, we have great interest in cooperating with other G8 nations on nuclear energy.”

“Russia could contribute much to this dimension of G8 action with its initiative to set up international full fuel cycle nuclear centers to enrich uranium, handle spent nuclear fuel, and train and certify nuclear experts. This could do a great deal to help reinforce the nonproliferation regime as well as tackle energy poverty,” the Russian diplomat said.

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