MOSCOW, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin called for joint efforts to assure energy services to developing countries when he met energy ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) in the Kremlin on Thursday.

    "Our joint efforts should include serious attention to the reliable and affordable provision of energy services to developing countries," Putin said.

    "We can render developing countries real assistance by introducing effective and affordable energy technologies," he added.

    Ministers from the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada attended the two-day G8 energy ministerial meeting, hosted by their Russia for the first time.

    Officials from China, India and the OPEC were also invited in a bid launch the first ever global energy security dialogue.

    Putin said energy resources could not resolve the problem of poverty.

    "However, the shortage of energy resources significantly affects economic growth, and their imprudent use may lead to an ecological catastrophe on a global scale, " he noted

    Russia's Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said after the G8 meeting that a joint strategy to supply the world's poorest countries with nuclear power without risking nuclear proliferation could be developed for the G8 leaders' summit, to take place in July in St. Petersburg.

    Putin said in late January that Russia was ready to build an international center "to offer nuclear fuel cycle services, including (uranium) enrichment under the control of the IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency)."

    Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and supplies about a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union. Enditem