Russia to back India joining G-8 : Putin

St Petersburg, July 16 (UNI) President Vladimir Putin today said Russia would back India joining the G-8, along with China and Brazil, if Moscow's partners in the club of most industrialised countries raised this issue ''in a practical context.'' ''If our partners find it possible to address this issue practically, we will of course back this idea," he told journalists at a press briefing.

"I think it would be incorrect for me to put forward an initiative on this matter," President Putin said, stressing "it would be difficult to solve economic, financial and energy issues effectively without the fast-growing Chinese and Indian economies.

Earlier, British Prime Minister Tony Blair had said he would press for the extension of G-8 to G-13 by including India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico, at the G-8 summit in St Petersburg.

The first session of the G-8 summit opened in Strelna near St Petersburg today. The leaders of Russia, Britain, Germany, Italy, Canada, the United States, France and Japan, as well as the president of the European Commission and the Prime Minister of Finland were attending the meeting.

International energy security, the fight against infectious diseases and education are slated to be key topics at the summit.

The summit will also address traditional issues, including counter-terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, economic and financial issues, regional conflicts, including the recent escalation of the Middle East conflict, Iranian and North Korean nuclear problems, and the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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