October 08, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

NEWS RELEASE

Prime Minister Paul Martin will travel to Russia, France and Hungary from October 10 to 16 in order to attend the Progressive Governance Summit in Budapest and advance bilateral relations with Russia and France.

“The Progressive Governance Summit is an important forum to renew a shared commitment with leaders from five continents to the principles of progressive governance and exchange experiences in putting these principles to practice,” said the Prime Minister.

"This trip will also provide a unique opportunity for enhancing Canada’s bilateral relations with Russia, France and Hungary," said the Prime Minister. "In Russia, I look forward to reinforcing our cooperation on global security, providing further impetus to our commercial exchanges and reinvigorating and expanding the Northern dimension of Canada-Russia relations. In France, I will be meeting President Chirac and Prime Minister Raffarin at a time when our countries are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the first French settlement in Canada. We will look at ways of building on our rich and diverse relationship."

The Prime Minister will travel to Moscow, where he will meet with the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Fradkov on October 11th.

On October 12, Prime Minister Martin will attend a working breakfast with prominent Canadian corporate leaders with interests in Russia, as well as a roundtable discussion with Russian and Canadian business representatives. He will then meet and participate in a working luncheon with President Vladimir Putin. In addition to discussing global security and expanding the Northern dimension of the bilateral relations, the two leaders are expected to focus on ways to tackle global issues through the G-20 at the level of leaders and on strengthening Canada-Russia economic relations.

The Prime Minister will meet with Russian intellectuals and political figures Sergei Karaganov, President of the Council for Foreign and Economic Policy, Yegor Gaidar, Director of the Institute of Economies in Transition and Boris Fyodorov, Vice-President of the United Financial Group on October 13 before departing for Paris. The Prime Minister will meet with the President of the National Assembly and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin that evening. After a meeting with the President of the Senate and on the morning of October 14, the Prime Minister will be hosted by President Jacques Chirac at a working luncheon.

Later that day, the Prime Minister will travel to Hungary to participate in the Progressive Governance Summit in Balatonöszöd near Budapest, Hungary. The Summit will bring together like-minded leaders from Canada, Hungary, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, South Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, Ethiopia and Chile for a discussion of broad domestic and international social policy, economic and security issues.

Prime Minister Martin will meet with Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsáy on October 15 to reinforce the already excellent relations in trade and investment, science and technology and co-operation in the areas of defence, development, youth and culture. Before returning to Canada, the Prime Minister will unveil a plaque commemorating the opening of the new Canadian Chancery in Budapest.

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