Russian President Vladimir Putin has identified the three issues that he wants to form the centrepiece of the upcoming Group of Eight (G8) summit.

However, officials warn more immediate concerns, such as the Iranian and DPRK nuclear programmes, could overshadow the formal agenda. Here though are the main issues:

ENERGY SECURITY: In other words, making sure there is enough oil and gas to go around: a hugely topical issue at a time of record energy prices and high demand.

Russia and its partners disagree on how to achieve this. Some observers say this choice of topic for the summit agenda could backfire on the Kremlin.

Moscow, one of the world's biggest oil and gas exporters, says consumers should give guarantees about how much Russian energy they import. Washington accuses Russia of using energy to blackmail its neighbours. And the EU wants Russia to open up its energy sector to foreign companies, an idea the Kremlin finds hard to stomach.

The summit will also touch on other energy issues that are only slightly less contentious: climate change, how to provide energy to the developing world and diversifying energy sources by, among other things, embracing nuclear power.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The bird flu virus, if it mutates so it can pass from human to human, could cause a global pandemic. The Kremlin wants G8 leaders to agree a co-ordinated plan of action. It also says countries must do a better job of sharing their knowledge about contagious diseases like bird flu.

Russia wants to follow up on the commitments made at last year's G8 summit on combating HIV/AIDS, and ramp up efforts to tackle malaria and tuberculosis.

EDUCATION: Until now most international efforts on education have focused on helping as many people as possible to learn to read. Russia wants to shift the emphasis from quantity to quality. It argues that young people need to be trained to take part in the new, knowledge-based economy.

Some aid agencies say world powers still need to address the more fundamental problem: the millions of children in poor countries, and particularly girls, who receive no education at all.

OTHER BUSINESS: Russia says time will be given over to two issues not on the main agenda: terrorism and human rights.

Russia wants to enlist the help of private business in combating terrorism, an initiative broadly supported by its G8 partners. Putin has promised some discussion on human rights but it could be tricky: rights campaigners say none of the G8 countries have clean hands.

Source: China Daily