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Interview Granted by Alexander Yakovenko, the Spokesman of Russia's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Foreign Correspondents Accredited
in Moscow Concerning the Upcoming G8 Summit at Sea Island (excerpted)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Daily News Bulletin
June 8, 2004

Question: What do you perceive as the principal tasks of the upcoming G8 Sea Island Summit?

Answer: The upcoming summit on June 8-10 at Sea Island, USA, of the leaders of the world's leading industrial nations is called upon to give new impetus to the cooperation of the Group of Eight in such priority areas for the world community as the fight against international terrorism, the strengthening of the WMD nonproliferation regimes, the settlement of international conflicts and assistance to sustainable economic development and to the solution of other global problems.

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Russia is striving to ensure that the summit should also help to build up the joint potential of struggle against terrorism. In this connection a number of draft documents have been prepared that will help increase the effectiveness of the G8's common efforts on the antiterrorist front. In particular, we are talking about concrete measures to combat the threat of terrorism in transport as well as bioterrorism. I would like to note that Russia actively participated in the elaboration of a document on the secure and simplified procedure of international trips, which along with the facilitation of the formalities in crossing the national boundaries of the G8 countries also envisages new-generation antiterrorist security measures.

The Sea Island meeting can also help solve the immediate tasks in strengthening the existing nonproliferation regimes. It is important to so implement them that they are not perceived by other countries as the dividing lines between industrial and developing countries, but, on the contrary, unite countries in solving the common task of preventing the spread of WMDs, which is equally threatening all.

In the light of the challenges and threats, it is particularly important to create additional effective barriers in the path of the proliferation of WMDs with a view to preventing such weapons or their components getting into terrorists' hands.

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