1.
GV EXTERIOR Conference building (2 shots)
0.08

2.
SV INTERIOR Delegates seated
0.10

3.
SV ZOOM In President of the conference
0.14

4.
SV Delegates from Netherlands, USA, United Kingdom and Italy (4 shots)
0.26

5.
SV PAN Delegates from Germany and Austria
0.30

6.
SV ZOOM IN Japanese delegation
0.34

7.
SV Canadian delegation
0.35

8.
SV PAN Delegates from Denmark and Spain
0.40

9.
SV Delegates from Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey (3 shots)
0.53

10.
SV Delegates seated at table
0.56



Initials CL/1724 CL/1730



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Major oil consuming countries met in Paris on Wednesday (19 March) to work out remaining problems before their meeting with the oil producers, scheduled for 7 April.

Senior officials from the 18 industrialised nations that comprise the International Energy Agency (IEA) began a two-day session to complete their position for the international energy conference.

The main outstanding problem for the agency is reaching final agreement on its plan to safeguard investments by member countries in developing costly non-oil power, including nuclear and solar energy.

The agreement on alternative sources was one of three preconditions set by the United States Government for taking part in the consumer-producer meeting, sponsored by French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

The two other conditions, already met, are joint oil conservation measure and a 25,000-million-dollar (more than 10,000 million pounds sterling) "safety net" fund.