Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium

What are the outcomes and implications of the St. Petersburg G-8 Summit and the Bush-Putin meetings? The G-8 is dedicated to developing common approaches to international economic, financial, and political issues, such as open markets, civic freedoms, non-proliferation, counter-terrorism, and regional stability. Yet questions remain among the original seven members as to whether or not Russia as G-8 President and a key player on Iran, non-proliferation, and energy shares these values.

Russia's political trajectory has taken its own distinct course, including – support for Iranian acquisition of nuclear technology; a proposed gas cartel with Iran; an increased role of government in business; restricting access of Western companies to the Russian natural resources; and monopolistic practices in international energy transit. Russia is expanding its strategic cooperation with China and Iran in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which promotes its "multi-polar" agenda. And, Russia’s importance to the international community – especially in the energy field – cannot be ignored.

After the July 15-17 G-8 and Bush-Putin summits, Western policymakers need to examine Russia's G-8 Presidency, its future role in the organization, and the effects of its own ambitious political and energy agendas on the G-8 Summit outcomes. Our distinguished expert panel will address these and other related questions.