Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (L-R) sit in an oversized beach chair in Heiligendamm June 7, 2007. Leaders from the world's major industrialised nations meet in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm on June 6-8 for a Group of Eight (G8) summit. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations pledged here Thursday to intensify anti-corruption efforts, both at the national and international levels, terming the fight against corruption "one of the most important tasks of the G8."

    "We are aware of their leadership role in setting examples in the fight against corruption, and are taking concerted action to live up to their commitments and responsibilities," said a declaration published on the official website of the G8 summit.

    "We are committed to full implementation of their (G8 members) obligations under existing international agreements created to combat corruption, particularly those of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),"it said.