G8 Summit To Focus On Rising Food And Fuel Prices

G8 focus on food and fuel

Rising food and fuel prices will top the agenda at the forthcoming G8 summit in Japan, the PM has said.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda today, Gordon Brown said he and his counterpart had identified rising commodity prices as "a global problem that now require co-ordinated international action".

The PM said:

"We agreed it was important for G8 members to press oil-producing nations to do all they can to increase oil production and investment to improve future supply. We agreed on the need for genuine diversification of our energy supply to move way from dependence on carbon fuels, including through investment in nuclear power. We talked about measures to improve energy efficiency and therefore to cut demand."

Mr Brown said he hoped the summit would produce a plan to boost food production worldwide and bring down prices for consumers. He also said it was "vital" for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, meeting in Rome this week, to agree measures to increase food production in the world's poorest countries.

The PM welcomed other areas confirmed as summit topics by Prime Minister Fukuda, including the global economy, climate change and development.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Fukuda said:

"Mr Brown and I agreed that it is important to send out from the G8 summit in Japan a strong message regarding the various challenges the world faces - the world economy, climate change, development in Africa and rising food prices, as well as the issue of non-proliferation."

The G8 summit 2008 will take place on Hokkaido, an island in the north of Japan, from 7-9 July.

ENDS

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