Russia joined the G8, then G7, in 1997 under President Boris Yeltsin. The country was admitted to the club in a sign of appreciation of its economic reforms and progress toward democracy. The country hosted its debut summit of G8 in St. Petersburg on July 15-17.
"Russia's first presidency of the Group of Eight has been a major foreign policy event of the year," the ministry said in a statement posted on its official Web site.
The G8 summit in St. Petersburg adopted 12 documents, including on the Middle East, Global Energy Security, Education for Innovative Societies in the 21st century, Fight against Infectious Diseases, Trade, Update on Africa, Combating IPR Piracy and Counterfeiting, and Fighting High Level Corruption.
The G8 leaders also adopted a G8 Summit Declaration on Counter-Terrorism and a G8 Summit Declaration on Strengthening the UN's Counter-Terrorism Program, as well as a G8 Declaration on Cooperation and Future Action in Stabilization and Reconstruction and a Statement on Non-Proliferation.
The Russian president said earlier Russia's role in the G8 is crucial and that the country is a natural member of the association.
Vladimir Putin said Russia's proven oil and natural gas reserves are four times the hydrocarbon wealth of the seven other G8 nations combined and that it is also a leading nuclear power, so international non-proliferation and disarmament issues are impossible to tackle without it.
