Putin urges to discuss energy security and stable economic growth

Leaders of G20 countries have finished the summit’s second working session, which was devoted to investments in stimulation of economic growth and new jobs.

Following an introduction by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, a discussion lasted for an hour and a half.

Vladimir Putin urged the G20 leaders to discuss energy security as one of the factors of stable economic growth.

Speaking at the 2nd plenary session on Friday, Putin said, “Traditionally the G20 summit focuses on energy issues, the situation on commodity markets, ‘green growth’ and the climate change.”

“It is clear because the economic growth and peoples’ living standards are directly linked to reliable energy sources and environmental security,” Putin said.

Russia’s president also expressed concern over unemployment in G20 countries.

“Despite all measures, the unemployment level in G20 countries is still higher than it was before the crisis,” he said at the summit’s second working session.

“Though the situation varies, there are problems, and they are rather sharp, which are typical for most G20 countries.” The president stressed “the youth unemployment remains high.”

“Another growing problem is structural unemployment,” Putin said. “The share of qualified specialists, who cannot find jobs, is growing rapidly.”

“The growing informal forms of employment affect people and their families, their living standards and social protection, and for government they mean less tax and pension incomes, thus adding to budget limitations.”

Putin suggested discussing the topics of investments in economic growth and new jobs offering.

“Protecting ourselves from a set-back crisis, assuring long-term stable economic development – can be done only through development, thus G20 countries and the entire world require new growth sources,” Putin said.

Meanwhile, the Group of Twenty (G20) summit does not plan to adopt a special document on the situation in Syria, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. 

“No document on Syria is planned,” the Kremlin official said, noting that a discussion on Syria “was not theoretically planned” on Friday afternoon. “The agenda is strict,” Peskov explained.

He said that the summit participants on Thursday had supported the idea to discuss the situation around Syria.

R.S