Zee Beam News

10-24-2008 - RBC News - Russia will consult India and China on measures to combat the global financial crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters today. “Russia will certainly coordinate its steps with the world’s leading emerging economies,” he stressed, pointing out Moscow’s strong ties with India, China and Brazil. The finance minister of the G20 group of rich and developing nations will gather next month in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Russian and Chinese finance ministers are also scheduled to meet there, according to Lavrov. “Despite the emergence of new centers of economic growth and financial power, as well as their rising political influence, it is only through joint efforts that we can solve the current crisis and prevent such things from happening in the future,” he asserted. Lavrov stressed the importance of the G20 summit in Washington on November 15 to discuss the global financial crisis. It will be of vital importance because “all the major players will come together,” he emphasized. “It is vital that they not merely come together, but also make plans relying on collective analysis,” Lavrov concluded. The Finance Minister also said Russia was against any rash moves that could undermine Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In its latest report in September, the agency said it had found no military dimension to Iran’s nuclear program, while confirming that Iran continued to enrich uranium. The UN nuclear watchdog said it had failed to make any meaningful progress in assessing Iran's past nuclear activities. "Regrettably, the agency has not been able to make any substantial progress on the alleged studies and other associated key remaining issues which remain of serious concern," the report said. Iran insists that it is not developing nuclear weapons and defends its right to peaceful nuclear programs.