President Ahmadinejad changed almost all of his economic ministers, including oil, industry and economy, since coming to power in 2005.

He has yet to name an economic minister and the team who will attempt to steer Spain out of deep economic turmoil.

His fellow leaders gave him mostly words, but agreed to create an employment committee to work with their finance and economic ministers.

A18 The economic minister expressed optimism in an interview.

But I doubt whether a single trade or economic minister will attend the 2012 Rio conference.

Preliminary meetings began today among foreign and economic ministers to complete agreements to be signed by the six leaders.

In Indonesia's case, that means the appointment of competent economic ministers.

I hope that the economic and finance ministers will be similarly resolute.

"The uncertainty comes from the fact that the economic ministers have no control over the political process," he said.

Mr Yeltsin has lost his top three economic ministers in the past three months.