Russia on Sunday took over the presidency of the G8 group of leading industrialized nations for the first time, saying it wants to use its one-year leadership to stimulate a global dialogue on energy supply, state news agency RIA-Nowosti reported. President Vladimir Putin said in mid-December the goal of Russia's G8 presidency would be to guarantee global energy supplies at conditions acceptable to all market participants, according to DPA. Russia succeeds Britain at the head of the G8, with Germany next in line to take over the presidency in 2007. The G8 comprises the seven leading industrialized nations of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, as well as Russia. The next G8 summit is due to be held in the first half of July 2006 in St. Petersburg. Among the issues under discussion among the G8 are global poverty, unemployment, criminality, terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
