G8 Challenge

G8 finance ministers will gather in Moscow on February 10-11, followed by a summit of the group’s leaders in St Petersburg in July. Chairmanship of the G8 in 2006 for the first time is an important achievement for Russia, and President Putin will be keen to showcase a strong economic record, including growth of 6.4% in 2005. But after the early-year disruptions in gas supplies to Europe, Russia will have its work cut out to convince other leading industrialised nations that it is a secure energy provider, while recent Western criticism of new controls on NGO’s has forced Putin to defend his country’s very right to be in the club.

To read the full article, please choose one of the following options: