Russia To Be World Energy Leader

Russia should become a world energy leader, the President Vladimir Putin stated of the Russian Security Council on Thursday.

"I am sure that our country, its fuel and energy industry and Russian science are ready to undertake the challenge.

Moreover, such a full scale task will be a catalyst for modernization and qualitative increase in the economy," he said.

"Russia's present and future welfare greatly depends on the place Russia will take in the global energy system," Putin said, adding that "a bid to lead the world's energy market is an ambitious goal."

"Simply increasing production and export volumes are insufficient to reach the goal," the president said. "Russia should be the author and 'trendsetter' as far as energy know-how, new technologies and the search for new types of resources and subsurface resources protection are concerned," he said.