The main issues discussed at Evian were assisting growth and consolidating stable development and security worldwide.
At the summit, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia had the fastest economic growth rate among the G8 member countries. Over the past three years, the rate has been around 5%, while inflation rates are dropping. Guidelines in Russia’s economic policy are controlling the exchange rate of the ruble and maintaining a budget surplus.
The heads of state of the G-8 member countries meeting in Evian have adopted a declaration in support of economic growth and a responsible market economy, and have approved a G-8 action plan for trade.
The declaration states the common values and principles that the G-8 countries share and promote in the interests of improving standards in the world economy to make it more effective, fair and transparent. In this respect, the G-8 countries pledge to continue their joint efforts to fight money laundering and prevent the financing of terrorism.
Promoting greater openness and better discipline in international trade while playing by the rules is the best road to international economic growth, both for the G-8 countries and for the rest of the world, in particular for the developing countries. This is the conclusion of the G-8 action plan for trade.
The summit’s participants declared their firm resolution to concentrate their efforts on fighting corruption, which they called a key obstacle on the road to economic and social development.
The G-8 leaders called for freer access to world markets and the markets of all World Trade Organisation member countries, above all for the poorer countries so as to help speed up their integration into the world multilateral trading system.
The action plan for trade calls for greater openness while playing by the rules and improving discipline in international trade.
The G-8 countries reaffirmed their commitment to the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Convention on the Prohibition of Bacteriological Weapons. The summit’s participants approved a declaration and action plan on non-proliferation of weapons and materials of mass destruction.
The G-8 countries have decided to tighten controls on radioactive materials, including those used in industry, medicine and science.
Russia pledged to contribute $20 million in 2002–2006 to the Global Fund for the Fight against AIDS/HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to make a voluntary contribution of $11 million to the United Nations World Food Program.