GLENEAGLES (Scotland), July 8 (RIA Novosti) - The 2006 summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations will be held in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. He said the main issues of Russia's G8 presidency next year would be energy security and education. Demographic problems will be discussed at the summit as well. "The fatter and wealthier we become the more problems we have with demography," President Putin said. He said the European Union would conduct special research into demographic problems.
According to Putin, Russia's G8 presidency will continue to pursue the problems of the previous summits.
"We cannot discard the problems of countries with developing economies and we cannot avoid talking about the fight against terrorism, but the main topic will be the energy problem," Putin said.
"It was God's will to make the country the leader of the market for natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy, and to make this the main theme," Putin said.
He said that St. Petersburg had been chosen to host the G8 summit because considerable work had been conducted to make the city ready for its tercentennial in 2003.
