Putin to have several bilateral meetings on sidelines of G8 summit – aide

(Interfax – MOSCOW. June 14, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the upcoming G8 summit, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

On Monday, June 17, before the official start of the summit, Putin is expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, he said.

“They plan to discuss a schedule of upcoming political contacts, particularly preparations for the 8th round of Russian-Italian expanded interstate consultations under the chairmanship of the president of the Russian Federation and the prime minister of the Italian Republic and with ministers of the two countries’ governments taking part,” Ushakov said at a news conference in the run-up to the summit.

Talking about important meetings between the two countries’ high-ranking officials expected in 2013, Ushakov said the Russian-Italian council for economic, industrial and financial cooperation plans to hold the 14th session in Italy, the foreign and defense ministers should meet in the 2+2 format, and another Russian-Italian inter-parliament commission meeting is also planned.

The upcoming negotiations will be the first meeting between the Russian and Italian leaders after the new Italian government was formed in April 2013, Ushakov said. The participants in the meeting are expected to address prospects for interaction between the two countries in the trade-economic, scientific-technological, energy, transport and other areas, he said.

Putin also plans to meet with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the summit, which will be the third contact between the two leaders since June 1, 2012, Ushakov said.

“The upcoming meeting organically fits intensive political dialogue Moscow and Paris have been maintaining on a broad spectrum of issues involving all branches of government,” Ushakov said, adding that this reflects “mutual determination to further deepen strategic partnership relations.”

A high level of trust between the two countries’ leaders is evident from regular meetings between the foreign and defense ministers in Moscow and in Paris, and the next round of talks in this format will take place in Russia in the fall, he said.

“Putin and Hollande plan to pay special attention to assessing the way their agreements in the trade and economic area are being implemented,” Ushakov said.

Putin also plans to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while at the Lough Erne resort on Monday.

“The organization of this meeting shows great dynamism of the Russian-Japanese political dialogue. Abe paid an official visit to Russia a month and a half ago. It is expected that, during their conversation, they will discuss the implementation of the agreements that were reached following the top-level negotiations in Moscow in April,” Ushakov said.

Among the key subjects to be addressed at the meeting, the two are expected to discuss progress in interaction between Russia and Japan in the trade-economic, investment, and energy fields, he added.

Ushakov described as a strategic area of cooperation the fuel and energy sector and pointed out that Russia and Japan are stepping up interaction in implementing LNG projects, the construction of petrochemical facilities, and modernization of the gas transportation infrastructure.

Putin and Abe are “expected to exchange opinions on the peace treaty problem as well,” he said.

In line with the agreements reached at the April meeting, the Russian and Japanese Foreign Ministries have been instructed to step up consultations on this issue. The possibility of arranging a preliminary round of negotiations between deputy foreign ministers in the near future is being mulled now.

“Russia presumes that dialogue aimed at achieving a mutually acceptable solution should be maintained taking into account legal, geopolitical, and other factors affecting interests of our states and citizens. It should proceed in a calm and respectful atmosphere, against the background of the development of the entire range of Russian-Japanese relations,” Ushakov said.