Prime Minister to Visit Russia and to Attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Prime Minister Chrétien today announced that he will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which takes place October 24-27 in Edinburgh, Scotland, following a visit to Russia from October 18 - 22.

At the CHOGM, Commonwealth leaders will consider the report by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) regarding the membership status of Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. CMAG's mandate is to uphold the fundamentals of the Harare Declaration: the promotion of democracy, respect for human rights and good governance.

This year, the biennial meeting has the theme of "Trade, Investment and Sustainable Development: The Road to Commonwealth Prosperity". This will be the first time that an economic theme has been chosen for the meeting. The Prime Minister will take the opportunity to promote trade liberalization and the greater integration of developing countries into the international trading system. He will also use the occasion to discuss the campaign to ban anti-personnel landmines.

In an associated event, Prime Minister will address the Commonwealth Leaders Business Forum in London on October 23.

During his visit to Russia, the Prime Minister plans to meet with Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin and other political leaders to discuss a variety of issues such as the treaty to ban anti-personnel mines, Canada's economic relations with Russia and cooperation in the Arctic. These meetings will take place in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555