News Conference following G20 Summit.Part 3
September 26, 2009
Pittsburgh
Пресс-конференция по итогам саммита «Группы двадцати»
26 сентября 2009 года
Питтсбург
Of course we discussed the prospects for further cooperation in light of the U.S. administrations decision to renounce the deployment in Eastern Europe of missile defence capabilities. This solution opens up new possibilities for creating an up-to-date system of missile defence in the interest of all civilised nations. Like us, the Americans have ideas on this score. I hope that in the course of negotiations between experts this advice will come into play.
I would like to single out a topic that has now become number one in the news - I mean the problem of Iran. As you know, two days ago we made a statement to the effect that we were prepared and united in our determination to negotiate a comprehensive and long-term agreement to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. However, today the situation has taken a serious turn. You know that in their recent letter to the IAEA the Iranian authorities acknowledged the construction of a new enrichment plant. Information that for several years Iran has been constructing an enrichment plant near the city of Qom, without the authorization of the IAEA, is of course a source of grave concern for all participants in the summit and for Russia in particular.
The construction of this plant is contrary to UN Security Council demands that Iran suspend all enrichment-related activities. Along with the other participants in this debate Russia believes that the IAEA should immediately examine this situation and conduct an inspection. In the framework of the commitments that Russia has made as a member of the IAEA, we will work to facilitate such a test and we are ready to assist in this process. In turn, we urge Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA on this issue.
I think this is now a very important subject. The information that Iran is building a new processing plant only reinforces our desire to achieve concrete and verifiable results as soon as possible.
As you know, on October 1, 2009, there will be a meeting between the group of six - Russia is also a member of the group of six - and representatives of Iran. This meeting will provide Iran with an opportunity to show its good intentions and its willingness to find a negotiated solution to this problem. I think that we can expect that at this meeting Iran will provide evidence of its intentions to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
I thanked the President of the United States for the stimulating atmosphere of the summit and for its efficient organisation, and for choosing Pittsburgh as the venue for the summit. It is a city with a troubled past that in recent years has become a modern and well-developed centre. This is certainly an example of how modernisation can change a city's appearance and the quality of life of its inhabitants. This is no doubt why it was chosen as the venue for the summit of the 20 leading economies.
I am ready to answer your questions.
QUESTION: Good afternoon. Mr Medvedev, you talked about decisions concerning areas on which the G20 would focus. That is, it will deal with economic problems. In that case what is left for the G8 to do and how exclusive will this preoccupation be? That is, will the G8 continue to discuss economic problems or will it discuss something else that has not yet been defined? And is there a desire to link the G20 and the G8? That is, will they be held in conjunction?
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Okay, thank you.
I dont yet have the answers for the questions youre asking. To this point we have only discussed this new configuration, but it is clear that the G20 will be retained as an economic forum for one very simple reason: with all due respect to the member countries of the G8, they cannot resolve all our economic problems today. Whereas the G20 in fact can, because all our work enabled us to make some very important decisions, some of which as I have just said have been made very recently, even today. Therefore, despite the fact that the G20 is defined as a permanent forum, the G8 can of course go on having useful meetings, but in all likelihood its focus will change. Of course nobody has ever forbidden any countries from discussing economic issues when they get together, but the G8 without the G20, without the other 12 countries, cannot solve all the global economys problems today - that is obvious.
http://www.kremlin.ru
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10:29Д.Медведев.Пресс-конференция по итогам G20.26.0...by niknikolay520 views
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