MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - The finance ministers of the Group of Eight club of rich nations, of which Russia currently holds the rotating presidency, have concluded their meeting at the National Hotel in Moscow and agreed a communique.
The finance ministers said in a joint statement they had met with the aim of preparing for the G8 summit, to be held in July in St. Petersburg, and had discussed global economic issues in the context of the situation on the energy markets, future steps on the development agenda, and economic aspects of the fight against the spread of infectious diseases.
Along with the finance ministers of the G8 nations, International Monetary Fund Director Rodrigo Rato, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, the finance minister of Austria (which currently holds the EU Council presidency) Karl-Heinz Grasser, and European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia, attended the meeting.
The ministers will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in the afternoon.
