Russia to Host G-8 Summit for 1st Time in 2006

Leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations agreed Wednesday that Russia will host the G-8 summit for the first time in 2006, paving the way for the group's newest member to become a full partner, G-8 officials said.

The G-8 leaders, meeting for their annual summit in the Canadian mountain resort of Kananaskis, Alberta, issued a statement on the role of Russia in the framework, saying the country ''has demonstrated its potential to play a full and meaningful role in addressing the global problems that we all face.''

In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited his G-8 counterparts to take part in a summit between Russia and the European Union (EU) scheduled for next May on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg.

If there are appropriate urgent topics for discussion at the time, the leaders agreed the St. Petersburg gathering may be called a ''special G-8 summit,'' the officials said.

It was to be Germany's turn to hold the annual presidency of the G-8 in 2006. France will chair next year's summit.

Russia began fully participating in the annual summit of the world's richest countries in 1997 at their gathering in Denver, but had not been in the rotation to host the event. It still does not take part in the Group of Seven (G-7) framework for economic matters.

Since the summit of industrialized nations began in 1975 in Rambouillet, France, the presidency has been rotated in the order of the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada.

The EU participates in both G-8 and G-7 summits but is not in the host rotation.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2002)