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Russia takes on G8 presidency

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MOSCOW, January 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia took on the year-long presidency in the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations, replacing Britain, January 1.

Russia has already highlighted the main issues on the informal club's agenda for this year, which is dominated by global energy security issues.

President Vladimir Putin said in December 2005 that Russia was preparing a series of initiatives in the energy sector for the G8 summit, due in St. Petersburg in July. Putin is expected to urge joint efforts to ensure traditional fossil fuels supplies "on the terms beneficial for both producers and consumers."

He said diversifying energy resources and ensuring the safety of their storage and transportation, developing nuclear power energy, and searching for new technology and environmentally friendly sources of energy, which was the focus of last year under the previous G8 chair country, were central on the agenda.

"We plan to put forward specific initiatives and proposals on all those issues by the G8 summit in St. Petersburg," Putin said, adding that Russia was looking forward to participating in practical cooperation in the sphere.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ivanov said following the G8 summit in June that Russia would uphold the traditions developed within the G8.

In 2006, the forum will continue to address burning issues of global politics and economics, and demographic crises, as well as to take measures to curb AIDS, TB, and other diseases. The U.S., Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, and the EU, which holds a limited status in G8, will also focus on anti-terrorist measures, non-proliferation issues, regional conflicts, aid to "third world" countries, and other acute problems.

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