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The St.George Hall at the Grand Kremlin Palace saw the official welcoming ceremony in which Vladimir Putin’s wife, Lyudmila, and Adrienne Clarkson’s husband, John Rolston Saul, took part. The first round of talks was held in the Winter Garden whereupon the talk continued with the participation of Russian and Canadian delegations.

The first ever official visit to Russia by the Canadian Governor-General will be useful for the development of the bilateral relations, the President thinks.

He said that Russia and Canada had shared positions on many issues. The President noted that this was demonstrated during the Russian visit by the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in February 2002 and during international meetings.

The Governor-General noted that Canada as a member of the G8 attached great importance to the development of relations with Russia. She said that the two countries had much in common both in the process of global partnership and in their attitude to the northern regions.

Adrienne Clarkson drew Vladimir Putin’s attention to the fact that the Canadian delegation included representatives of indigenous northern peoples.

In a statement for the press after the meeting the President called for broader economic interaction between Russia and Canada. In his opinion, the “northern dimension” has emerged as a major area of bilateral ties. Cooperation in the Far North and the Arctic is a natural and a highly relevant element of the partnership between the two countries, the Russian leader said. He believes that Moscow and Ottawa have a truly unique experience in this sphere and that the synergies of the scientific and technological knowledge would substantially increase the economic returns from the development of the northern territories, solve their social problems and preserve their unique nature.

The Russian head of state said that the negotiations also covered humanitarian cooperation and emphasised the activities of the Canadian Hermitage Fund.

Adrienne Clarkson said that during her talk with Vladimir Putin, cooperation in the military sphere, the progress of the antiterrorist operation in Afghanistan and cooperation at international organisations, notably the UN, were also discussed.

The Canadian Governor-General represents the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who is the Canadian head of state. Adrienne Clarkson assumed office in October 1999, the second woman to occupy the position and the first Governor-General from an immigrant family in Canadian history.