The article review(文章导读):
By Lisa McAdams Moscow12 July 2006
Eight years after becoming a member of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, Russia is set to host the annual G8 Summit in St. Petersburg - President Vladimi
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The United States would like to see Russia use its influence with Iran to get it to agree to halt its controversial uranium enrichment program, which the United States fears could be used to build a nuclear weapon. But, here again, Volk says the summit may do more to highlight differences between Russia and the West, rather than showcase their similarities.
"I believe that the questions of energy; how to deal with the Iraq crisis; how to deal with the Iran situation; how to deal with North Korea and its ambitions in the field of weapons of mass destruction; what should be the cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in the fight against terrorism: what should be the mode of operations in Central Asia, how to deal with new post-Sovietstates in Trans-Caucasian areas..... on all these issues, Russia and America have rather different views," he said.
Analysts agree the areas where the summit agenda does merge are few and include efforts to fight world poverty; halting the spread of HIV/AIDS; and boosting nuclear non-proliferation efforts around the world.
It is also widely believed that the United States may approve Russia's accession into the World Trade Organization; either right before the summit, when the Russian and American presidents are scheduled to meet Friday, July 14, or during the course of the weekend.
Meanwhile, an estimated 1,500 anti-globalization protesters are also expected in St. Petersburg, where they plan to hold what they call an alternative summit on the sidelines of the G8.
During past summits, tens-of-thousands of activists have participated in sometimes violent protests. But organizers of the alternative forum say they will stick to discussing the same issues of concern as the G8 ministers.
With the city hosting so many high profile visitors, police in Saint Petersburg are not taking any chances, closing the airport and port during the three-day event. Authorities have also tightened security at a nearby nuclear power plant, as well as launched a weapons amnesty program just days before the summit. This, after Russian police said they had discovered a small weapons cache in a building situated along a main road to be used by visiting G8 leaders.
Security concerns aside, President Putin's top summit envoy, Igor Shuvalov, says that, by the end of the summit, officials hope to see full acknowledgement that Russia is a valued and equal member of the Group of Eight.
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