ST. PETERSBURG: President Hu Jintao yesterday called for international
dialogue and co-operation between energy exporters and consumers to ensure
global energy security.
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President Hu Jintao waves as he arrives for a G8 summit meeting in
Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg July 17, 2006.
[Reuters] |
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To do
this, the international community should work together to maintain a sound
political climate favourable to safeguarding the stability of energy-producing
countries and regions, the Middle East in particular, Hu said at the outreach
session of the Group of Eight (G8) Summit that concluded in Saint Petersburg
yesterday.
The meeting gathered the heads of G8 members the United States, Britain,
France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia and leaders of six developing
countries China, India, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and the Republic of Congo
to discuss energy security, prevention and control of infectious diseases,
education, African development and other topics.
"To ensure global energy security, we need to develop and implement a new
energy security concept that calls for mutually beneficial co-operation,
diversified forms of development and common energy security," Hu said.
Energy security topped the agenda of the annual summit of the world's leading
economic powers, which was hosted by Russia this year and took place at a time
of strain in the global energy market.
Oil prices hit a record high last Friday of more than US$78 per barrel
because of the escalation of the Middle East conflict and the Iran nuclear
stand-off.
Persistent high prices have adversely impacted global economic growth, which
hurts the interests of both oil producers and consumers, Hu pointed out. "Global
peace and regional stability are critical to ensuring global energy security,"
he said.
"We should maintain a sound political climate favourable to ensuring energy
security in international energy shipping routes and prevent geopolitical
conflicts from disrupting energy supply," he said.
"Energy issues should not be politicized, still less should countries
wilfully resort to force in tackling energy issues."
Speaking of China's energy policy, Hu said more than 90 per cent of the
country's energy needs have been met with domestic supply since the 1990s.