MOSCOW, March 16 (RIA Novosti) - A joint strategy to supply the world's poorest countries with nuclear power without risking nuclear proliferation could be developed for the Group of Eight leaders' summit, to take place in July in St. Petersburg, Russia's industry and energy minister said Thursday.

Viktor Khristenko said after a meeting of G8 energy ministers that initiatives proposed by Russia, the U.S. and France were being currently discussed.

"We hope that during the preparation for the summit all these proposals will gain a more harmonious form, and that there will be a mutual understanding of how we will cover such risks," he said.

President Vladimir 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."

In February, U.S. President George W. Bush proposed allocating $250 million from the 2007 budget on an international program to produce and deliver nuclear fuel for other countries' nuclear power plants.