Medvedev, Brown said to talk energy deal

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 9 (UPI) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown discussed alternative energy teamwork, a Russian Group of Eight summit delegate said.

"The leaders discussed bilateral relations, above all, in the economic sphere, and dwelt at length on energy cooperation, including the sphere of research of alternative energy sources," the unidentified delegate told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

The report, which gave no further details, could not be independently confirmed.

"Medvedev and Brown examined also international issues, including (the) question of nuclear non-proliferation, Iran and North Korea," the delegation representative told the state-owned news agency.

"The sides expressed satisfaction with the discussion, held at the working dinner, during which the G8 leaders held an open exchange of opinions on all questions of the international agenda," he said.

Brown said Thursday at the G8 meeting in L'Aquila, Italy, that he would propose changes to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, signed by 189 countries, that would require states suspected of seeking to build nuclear weapons to prove they're not doing so.

He also said he was ready to negotiate on reducing Britain's Trident nuclear arsenal to foster a spirit of cooperation for talks on the subject slated to take place in Washington in March.

U.S. President Barack Obama will send invitation letters to leaders of 25 to 30 nations when he returns to Washington next week, a White House spokesman said.