Russia to take part in world summit in Johannesburg

Russian deputy foreign minister Yuri Fedotov and a representative of the European Commission, the EU supreme executive body, have discussed ways of Russian and EU interaction for preparing a world summit on stable development, due in Johannesburg on August 26th - September 4th, 2002.

The Johannesburg meeting will allow heads of state and government, representatives of non-governmental organizations and business circles to outline and discuss measures for achieving stable development of the world community, said the Russian foreign ministry's press and information department.

The stable development means improving the life standards of the world's population without exceeding the maximum load on the planet's resources and requires focusing on three spheres, economic growth and justice, preservation of natural resources and environment, and social development.

In 1992 at the summit "Planet Earth" in Rio de Janeiro the world community adopted "The 21st Century Agenda", a global plan, containing more than 2,500 different practical recommendations, including those on decreasing wasteful consumption of natural resources, the fight against poverty, protection of the atmosphere, the ocean and the biological variety, and encouraging agricultural development.

The UN believes that the Johannesburg summit will allow today's leaders "to take specific commitments for fulfilling the 'The 21st Century Agenda' and securing stable development".