MOSCOW, March 16 (RIA Novosti) - Ensuring security at key energy facilities must be a priority for the G8, Russia's energy minister said Thursday.
"Considering the risk of terrorist acts at key energy facilities, including nuclear power plants, pipelines, ports, etc., their vulnerability to disasters, and the practice of unauthorized tapping of energy resources, international cooperation becomes extremely important to ensure the physical security of these facilities," Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said in his opening speech to a meeting of G8 energy ministers.
Energy ministers from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations are attending a two-day series of meetings in Moscow starting Thursday. The talks are expected to focus on a range of issues, including diversification of energy supplies in the face of increasing demand, as well as development and implementation of "clean" technologies. Russia has declared energy security the No. 1 issue for its G8 presidency this year.
