Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Novo-Ogarevo that he would be very pleased to consult the Group of Elders on key issues of world policy, TASS reports.
The talks are attended by UN ex-Secretary General Kofi Annan, US ex-President Jimmy Carter, Finnish ex-President Martti Ahtisaari, Mexican ex-President Ernesto Zedillo, Norwegian ex-Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and former Special Envoy of the UN for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.
Opening the talks with the ‘Elders’, Putin noted that their resignation from politics had not made the world easier.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov are taking part in the meeting.
