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Speech by Andrei Kondakov, Russian G8 Foreign Affairs Sous-Sherpa
delivered at an OECD meeting of the Executive Committee in Special Session (ECSS)
3 November 2006
I would like to start this presentation by expressing our sincere appreciation to the Secretariats of both the OECD and the IEA, which, throughout the year generously shared with the Russian G8 Presidency their unique expertise and advice on many issues in our agenda.
Our first ever Presidency in the G8, which culminated in the St. Petersburg Summit, was undoubtedly the most important event of the Russian foreign policy this year. It was both a serious year-long commitment and a challenge, an honour and a great responsibility, a steep learning curve and a new frontier.
Intensive dialogue initiated by the Presidency at all levels - from expert to Ministerial - made it possible for all initiatives put forward by President Putin to be discussed thoroughly and comprehensively. It was instrumental in putting together 15 substantive documents charting a long-term course of action for the G8 and other relevant stakeholders on many topical issues in the global agenda. In this respect, the Summit was an evident success.
There is a research group based in the University of Toronto that closely monitors G8 developments, especially in terms of commitments made by the leaders at each G8 Summit and their implementation. To tell you the truth, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that, according to this centre, all in all there were some 300 commitments made in St. Petersburg. This a little bit higher than the number of commitments made in Sea Island and Gleneagles. Now, it is a great challenge for us and our partners in the G8 to make sure that these commitments are honoured and implemented in a timely and efficient manner.
Another notable feature of the Russian Presidency was a remarkably intensive programme of events. All in all, there were 80-plus events, many of them at a senior level, including Ministerial. About 60 of those events took place before the Summit; the others in the wake of it. It is kind of a record for the G8. It is also worth mentioning the unprecedented scale on which civil society was involved in preparatory work for the Summit. In this context, one can single out such events as the Civil G8, the World Summit of Religious Leaders, and the so called J8 - the Junior G8. It is important to stress that many interesting suggestions and recommendations made at these fora in some way or another were reflected in the Summit's final deliverables.
The Presidency also actively promoted dialogue and engagement with outreach partners. We consulted with them on a regular basis, and leaders of five countries - Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa - participated in the Summit. It gave impetus to further democratisation and greater openness of the G8.
Naturally, a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the numerous outcomes of the St. Petersburg Summit and its impact on the international affairs will require some time. At this conjuncture, I believe it would appropriate to share with you some preliminary assessments, so to say, hot on the trail.
Let me start with the energy security initiative. The Summit deliverable on this critically important issue underlines basic principles and approaches to assuring energy security and contains a comprehensive Plan of Action addressing all crucial aspects of this global challenge. It is based on the understanding that energy egoism does not pay and that mankind has a common energy future, the future in which all interested parties - exporting, importing and transiting countries - have shared interests and joint responsibility.
We view this deliverable as a co-ordinated strategy of the G8 and other relevant stakeholders for the years ahead. It outlines what needs to be done to achieve sustainable development of a global energy system. More importantly, its Plan of Action incorporates a range of concrete measures to increase transparency, predictability and stability of energy markets, improve investment climate in the energy sector, promote energy saving and energy efficiency, diversify energy sources, ensure physical security of critical energy infrastructure, tackle energy poverty and address issues of climate change and sustainable development.
The document underlines an important principle of joint responsibility of producers and consumers for stable and sustainable development of the global energy markets. It reflects the need to ensure not only the security of supply but also the security of demand, highlights the importance of assets swap as a tool for promoting new energy partnerships between producers and consumers, mentions long-term contracts as one of the means to enhance stability and predictability of the markets. It is important to note that all these concepts do not compromise whatsoever the market principles that are enshrined throughout the whole document. The G8 leaders were on the same wavelength stating that transparent, efficient and competitive global energy markets would be the best way to achieve global energy security. They also recognised that governments and relevant international organisations play an important role in addressing global energy challenges.
It is also worth mentioning that those G8 members that have plans to develop nuclear industry reiterated the role of nuclear fuel as an economically effective and environmentally safe source of energy, and agreed upon practical approaches to provide access to peaceful nuclear technologies to developing countries without compromising non-proliferation principles.
To assure a robust follow-up to the St. Petersburg agreements in the area of energy security relevant Russian agencies currently finalise our own plan of action. Among other things it envisages more active Russian participation in international energy co-operation mechanisms, including concrete steps to enhance our dialogue with the International Energy Forum, International Energy Agency and OPEC.
We expect that our German colleagues, who will assume the G8 Presidency next year, will keep energy issues high on the agenda and help us to take forward agreements and understandings reached in St. Petersburg.
A couple of words about the education initiative. Its starting point was an evident fact that knowledge is at the heart of human progress. Economic and social prosperity in the 21st century increasingly depends on the ability of nations to educate all members of their societies to be prepared to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
It is no secret that the quality of education in many countries of the world still lags behind the requirements of the knowledge-based global economy. In this context, the joint statement on education adopted in St. Petersburg concentrated on major areas where concerted efforts of the G8 and other stakeholders can make a difference. Special emphasis was made on the issues of adaptation of education to the requirements of innovative societies, in particular through life-long learning, increased academic mobility and improved understanding and recognition of foreign qualifications and educational outcomes. Needs of developing countries were addressed through concrete measures to further implement an important Education for All Initiative. Besides, one cannot fail to mention a novelty section of the document dealing with the issues of integration of immigrants into host societies through various education mechanisms.
As for the infectious diseases, the G8 leaders agreed upon in St. Petersburg a comprehensive long-term strategy for global action to fight infectious diseases. Its practical value was recognised by the World Health Organization, which called it one of the best documents in this area in recent time.
It is evident however that the effectiveness of our joint efforts in this critically important area will be judged not by the commitments and declarations, but by our concrete actions, our ability to deliver results. One of the key issues here, of course, is the provision of adequate financing, including through the mobilisation of resources to replenish Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. In this regard, Russia has taken an innovative approach - to reimburse the Global Fund all the money it has spent on financing corresponding projects in Russia. Through this action the Global Fund will receive an additional 200 million US dollars.
As you know, the G8 countries also committed to strengthen scientific and research capability to fight AIDS. In this regard, one of the initiatives proposed by Russia was to establish a new regional centre for HIV vaccine development in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This centre will become operational next year. It will be financed by Russia.
The G8 also stated its intention to co-operate closely with relevant international organisations to further strengthen the global capacity to fight avian flu. Joint work is already under way with the WHO, FAO and the International Epizootic Bureau. On its part, Russia has envisaged concrete measures to increase preparedness for possible avian influenza pandemic in the CIS countries, including by designating Novosibirsk "Vektor" laboratory as the WHO Collaborating Centre on Influenza for Eurasia and Central Asia and the provision of other technical assistance. For this purpose alone Russia intends to disburse 45 million US dollars.
Among other socio-economic documents adopted at the summit, one should mention a statement on the Doha Development Round containing a number of specific proposals to revitalise multilateral trade talks. In this context, it is important that our G8 partners entrusted the right to draft and release this document on behalf of the G8 to the Russian presidency, though we are not WTO member yet.
Another important document from the St. Petersburg package addresses the issue of corruption, especially at high levels. It contains a concrete action plan, including steps to promote interaction with international financial institutions in preventing the legalisation and storage of criminally obtained funds, protecting financial markets against criminal abuses, expanding the exchange of information about persons implicated in corruption, ensuring effective management and strengthening of financial transparency, including in government procurements and concessions, and intensifying efforts to fight money laundering.
One should also mention the joint statement underlying the need to enhance our fight against counterfeiting and intellectual property piracy. The G8 leaders pledged to give priority to streamlining laws, rules and regulations to secure strict enforcement of intellectual property rights, better co-ordination of efforts by the relevant international organisations, broader interaction between customs services, and better information exchange.
At the St. Petersburg Summit, the G8 member countries also took stock of the progress achieved working with Africa and agreed upon guidelines for further work in this important area.
To conclude, I would like to say that, from our perspective, the St. Petersburg Summit on many scores moved far beyond the bounds of a routine, pro forma event. In St. Petersburg, the G8 rose above contradictions and demonstrated a unity of positions, as well as its ability to act in a co-ordinated manner, responding to modern challenges and threats in a prompt and efficient manner. Thus, the Summit reaffirmed the G8's role as an important forum for co-ordination and concerted action on many topical global issues.
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