Germany highly assesses decision to hold 2006 G-8 summit in Russia

The decision to hold the 2006 summit of the G-8 leaders in Russia is "a manifestation of the western states' high respect for Russia's policy, the president of Russia and his activity within the G-8 framework and is, thus, an important step into the future".

As a RIA Novosti correspondent reports, this is said in the press release of the Press and Information Department of the German government, circulated on the results of the G-8 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, last night.

The report says that in 2006 Russia will preside in the community of the world's most industrially developed countries and will be the "host" of the regular summit of the G-8 leaders, scheduled for that year, as a full and equal member of the community.

As the report points out, "chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder and President of France Jacques Chirac particularly actively backed this decision."